Processors Reviews - Tech4Gamers

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K Review: New Architecture, Familiar Flaws

Dr. Usman Saleem — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 19:34:47 +0000

The Core Ultra 5 245K, Intel’s latest release and the follow-up to the outstanding Core i5-14600K, is up for review today. It follows in the footsteps of many popular Intel CPU variants. This desktop processor from Arrow Lake sits between the enthusiast Core Ultra 9 285K and Core Ultra 7 265K while eventually aiming to replace the 14th Gen Core i5 series.

Historically, AMD hasn’t dominated with Ryzen processors from the same class. Therefore, in this review, it will be exciting to see how comparative processors from both companies would fare with each other. The Core Ultra 5 245K is currently priced at $310, and if you’re not concerned with integrated graphics, you can save an additional $15 and get Intel’s Core Ultra 5 245KF instead of the 245K.

This processor will compete head-on with AMD’s Ryzen 5 9600X and maybe even Ryzen 7 9700X. With an 8-core/16-thread AMD CPU and a 14-core/14-thread Intel one, with 8 of those cores being E-cores, you have an intriguing decision to make between these options. I can’t wait to compare the two and other CPUs in this category for productivity and gaming. Let’s dive in.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

At Tech4Gamers, ensuring you get reliable information is our priority. That’s why every hardware round-up undergoes a meticulous review process by our team of experts and editors. Each review is carefully examined against our strict editorial guidelines, guaranteeing you trustworthy insights you can depend on.

Key Takeaways

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is a decent processor, performing well in rendering and multi-core workloads while offering outstanding power efficiency. With its advanced architecture and high core count, it performs exceptionally well in demanding software applications.
You can consider buying the Core Ultra 5 245K if you need excellent multi-core performance for tasks like rendering or if you are the one that works a lot with software since you will benefit from its high core and thread counts without worrying about power consumption.
You should not buy the Core Ultra 5 245K if you are looking for a value-oriented option in this price segment since it delivers subpar results compared to its competitors in gaming benchmarks with similar or lower prices.

Let’s compare the specifications of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K to those of other CPUs that cost about the same.

Product	Core Ultra 5 245K	Core i5-14600K	Ryzen 5 9600X	Ryzen 7 9700X
Manufacturer	Intel	Intel	AMD	AMD
Price	$310	$260	$250	$330
No of Cores	6+8	6+8	6	8
No of Threads	14	20	12	16
Base Frequency	4.2 / 3.6 GHz	3.5 / 2.6 GHz	3.9 GHz	3.8 GHz
Max Frequency	5.2 / 4.6 GHz	5.3 / 4.0 GHz	5.4 GHz	5.5 GHz
Processing Node	3 nm	10 nm	4 nm	4 nm
L3 Cache	24 MB	24 MB	32 MB	32 MB
TDP	159 W	125 W	65 W	65 W
Architecture	Arrow Lake	Raptor Lake	Zen 5	Zen 5
Socket	LGA 1851	LGA 1700	AM5	AM5

[toc]

Arrow Lake Architecture and Design

Before getting directly into the benchmark results, let’s first have a look at some of the Core Ultra 5 245K’s main specifications. With Intel’s shift to state-of-the-art TSMC 3 nm manufacturing, the Arrow Lake microarchitecture aims to improve all essential processor IP blocks, including the GPU, CPU cores, and the platform I/O interfaces.

Now that Intel’s mobile platform Meteor Lake and server platform Sapphire Rapids have accomplished this transition, it’s making its way to desktop processors. An attempt is made to provide thermals and energy efficiency that surpass Raptor Lake’s 10 nm design. The core configuration of the Core Ultra 5 245K is 6P+8E; six performance cores are from Lion Cove, and eight efficiency cores are from Skymont.

Core Ultra 5 245K

They share a 24 MB L3 cache, and both types of cores reside in the same CPU core complex. Skymont has been the talk of the town since its Lunar Lake debut for providing an IPC improvement of 50% over Crestmont, putting its performance in the category of P-cores. In addition, Intel asserts that the Lion Cove P-core offers a generational IPC improvement above Raptor Cove. This can really make the Core Ultra 5 245K an excellent choice.

Intel’s Foveros Tile-based Chip Technology

It is Intel’s first desktop CPU to use its IDM 2.0 product development approach, which involves using industry-leading foundry nodes and developing IP blocks on the most cost-effective node Intel can find for an agreed-upon performance and price objective. Built on independent foundry nodes, Intel’s Foveros tile-based chip technology combines the iGPU, CPU complex, and the processor’s remaining parts, including the I/O components.

Henceforth, Intel achieved its first technological advantage over AMD in five years thanks to the Compute tile containing the CPU complex. The tile is manufactured on a TSMC 3 nm EUV node. The most surprising addition to this processor is the inclusion of an NPU. Even though it falls short of Microsoft Copilot+ requirements, it still offers a number of useful capabilities since it is Intel’s first desktop processor generation that includes a 13 TOPS NPU.

Performance and Efficiency Core Frequencies

Core Ultra 5 245K’s six Lion Cove P-cores have a 2% frequency drop from the 14600K, with base frequencies of 4.20 GHz and maximum boost frequencies of 5.20 GHz. Since Hyper-Threading is not an option, they use a single thread. Moreover, there are a total of 8 E-cores, and each one has 8 threads due to the lack of SMT functionality. Compared to the 14600K’s E-Core frequency, they clock at 3.60 GHz at base and 4.60 GHz at maximum boost, an increase of 15%.

Now that Intel has raised the clock rates of their E-cores, IPC is much more important than before. The cache memory includes 24 MB of L3 and 26 MB of L2. There is 3 MB of L2 cache for each P-core and 4 MB for each cluster of four E-cores. The TDP ranges from 125W at the base to 159W at the maximum turbo.

Latest Memory Standards

With the release of Arrow Lake, Intel introduced their second-generation DDR5 memory controller architecture, discontinuing support for DDR4 memory. It’s important to note that all K-SKU variants, which are the only ones for now, are compatible with dual-channel DDR5-6400 CUDIMM or DDR5-5600 UDIMM memory. CUDIMM memory modules include a tiny clock driver circuit in the module to achieve the exact timings required for faster memory speeds.

Each memory controller now addresses a subchannel of a separate channel, a change brought about by Intel’s decision to discontinue support for DDR4. Since there are two channels, each with its own subchannel, controller 1 would deal with channel 1 and controller 2 with channel 2.

By using this method, Intel will likely make greater use of DDR5’s subchannel parallelism. With Direct Media Interface 4.0 and eight lanes connected to the chipset, each model offers twenty PCIe 5.0 lanes and four PCIe 4.0 lanes. Like other K-suffix CPUs, this variant comes with an unlocked multiplier that you can use to boost the clock speed.

Test Bench

Intel Core Ultra 5 45K Processor Installed (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Here’s what my test bench for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K looks like:

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 245K
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z890 Carbon (7E17v1A1)
Power Supply: Corsair HX1200i Platinum
Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus G 2TB
Memory: Corsair Dominator Titanium 2x16GB 32GB DDR5-7200 CL34
Graphics Card: Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
OS: Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit

Testing Methodology

Used default Auto and Stock settings for all tests.
Disabled any default performance boost options in the BIOS.
Loaded EXPO and manually adjusted DRAM timings and voltage for each test.
Left all other voltages on Auto.
Ran the cooling system’s pump and fans at full speed (100%) during testing.
Kept the graphics card in its stock settings.
Updated the motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version.
Used Nvidia driver 517.48.
Monitored all sensors with HWinfo64

General Benchmarks

I started by running the processor through a number of general performance tests to see how it scored on multiple tasks. Although it comes in behind the 14700K 24-thread in nearly all benchmarks due to its smaller number of threads, the budget Arrow chip outperforms most processors in our general benchmarks. This can be seen in 7-Zip decompression, where it falls short.

It outperforms Zen 5 but lags behind Raptor Lake. Arrow Lake’s much slower ring bus compared to its predecessor is likely to blame for this, as is the need to move the data to a different tile before sending it to DRAM, which slows down the data transmission among the L3 cache and memory controllers.

7-ZIP MIPS Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K achieved a compression score of 135986 MIPS and a decompression score of 128756 among all tested processors.

AIDA64 Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K showed great results with an impressive AES encryption speed of 485,768 MB/s, followed by AMD Ryzen 9 9900X at 518,996 MB/s.

Super Pi 32MTest (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K achieved a calculation time of 278 seconds in the Super Pi 32M test, making it the second-fastest processor tested in this benchmark.

wPrime 1024M Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

In the wPrime 1024M test, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K completed the calculations in 52.635 seconds, faster than most but behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, 9900X, and Core Ultra 9 285K.

Rendering Benchmarks

Now, let’s put it through intense rendering tasks to see how well it handles demanding workloads, as seen in the rendering performance benchmarks below. Arrow Lake seems like a fantastic option on paper. When trying to figure out a processor’s true performance, we always look into the benchmarks for clarification, but in this case, the results are contradictory. Even though its rendering performance is quite satisfactory, it was not as expected that the Ultra 5 245K would be outperformed by its predecessor in most of our rendering benchmarks.

Cinebench R23 Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scored 2084 in single-core and 33,842 in multi-core tests in Cinebench R23, coming in at number 4th behind the Core i7-14700KF.

Corona Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scored 11,186,296 in the Corona test, outperforming all other processors except AMD’s Ryzen 9 9900X and 9950X, Core i7-14700KF, and Ultra Core 9 285K.

FryRender Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K completed the FryRender test in 57 seconds, which was quite disappointing as it was even slower than the 13th-generation Core i7-13700K.

Geekbench 5 Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K scored 2247 in single-core and 23,187 in multi-core tests, securing fourth place overall, behind the i7-14700KF again.

V-Ray Test (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K completed the V-RAY test in 30 seconds, which was again disappointing as it was even slower than the Intel Core i7-13700K.

Gaming Performance (1080p)

Now, we’ll have a look at how well it performs in 1080p gaming using the Ultra setting or something similar. Here is the average of tested games.

Alan Wake 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Elden Ring
F1 2024
Hogwarts Legacy
Spider-Man Remastered
Starfield
The Last Of Us

Gaming Tests (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Intel’s Core i5 was considered a top-notch midrange gaming processor for a long time. There was high expectation that the Ultra 5 245K, the long-awaited successor to those renowned models, would be the obvious choice for gamers. But our gaming benchmarks tell a different story. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K performed satisfactorily in most games during our testing. Thus, it would be unfair to call it an unacceptable processor for gaming.

You wouldn’t notice much difference between the Ultra 5 245K and its competitors because of the relatively low frame rate drops, which didn’t make games unplayable. However, this won’t remove the fact that most AMD and Intel processors mentioned here provide a better price-to-performance gaming ratio, particularly if you already use a compatible board. It is worth considering that this is the latest platform that will require an expensive Z890 motherboard.

Thermals and Power

Finally, a look at thermal performance and power consumption

Thermals and Power Cinebench R23 (Image By

During a 30-minute Cinebench R23 multi-core test, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K consumed an average of 123 watts. It is among the least power-hungry CPUs that Intel has released recently. The thermal efficiency is commendable compared to the previous generation, peaking at 76°C while handling this power draw.

Should You Buy it?

Still in confusion? Let me break it down for you.

Buy it if

✅ You prioritize power efficiency: The Core Ultra 5 245K offers competitive power efficiency, even managing to rival AMD’s latest offerings, and it handles thermals well under heavy loads.

✅ Productivity tasks are your main focus: With solid productivity performance and respectable multi-core scores, this processor can easily handle demanding tasks like video rendering, 3D modeling, and multitasking.

✅ You want the latest Intel architecture and features: The Arrow Lake architecture brings new design elements, a tile-based setup, and upgraded DDR5 memory support, ideal for future-proofing a build with modern technology.

Don’t Buy it if

❌ Gaming is your top priority: The Core Ultra 5 245K may fall short if you’re building primarily for gaming. Its gaming benchmarks are noticeably lower than those of competitors like the Ryzen 7 7700X and even Intel’s previous Core i5-14600K, especially in AAA titles.

❌ You’re seeking the best price-to-performance ratio: Priced at $310, the Core Ultra 5 245K doesn’t justify its cost for gamers or those on a budget. Alternatives like the Ryzen 5 9600X or the Core i5-14600K deliver similar or better performance at a more reasonable price.

My Thoughts

Ultimately, and especially for PC gamers, Intel’s newest processor has been a letdown. There are some pros and cons, but overall, it’s a mixed bag, similar to the remaining members of this generation. Productivity results were better than performance benchmarks in gaming, but they weren’t as outstanding as expected from the latest generation. With the exception of a handful of rendering benchmarks, hardly much is noteworthy. As I mentioned above, when it came to gaming, the 245K was noticeably lacking.

The 245K was far more inconsistent than Arrow Lake’s typical underperformance. There were a number of games where it was significantly behind, including Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Hogwarts Legacy, frequently landing near the bottom of our tests. However, as for power efficiency, the 245K is competitive and almost matches AMD’s, so now they’re almost on par.

If you’re looking to purchase a new processor, a Core i5-14600K or, even better, a Ryzen 7 7700X or 9700X would be much better than the Core Ultra 5 245K in terms of gaming. Currently, the 245K isn’t a good choice for gamers until there’s a huge price drop and it performs consistently better. The 245K provides respectable productivity performance for $310, but there are better options. Until we see changes, it’s hard to suggest these CPUs, but I hope Intel can fix Arrow Lake soon since there’s an unfulfilled opportunity here.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.

8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K Review: New Architecture, Familiar Flaws is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review: 3D V-Cache Shines Again!

Dr. Usman Saleem — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 19:24:39 +0000

AMD’s much-awaited Ryzen 7 9800X3D is here, bringing us what AMD is calling the second generation of 3D V-Cache. This comes with significant architectural changes, including a shift in the location of the L3 SRAM chipset. AMD promises an 8% gaming performance bump for the chip over the Ryzen 7 7800X3D despite the CPU having the same TDP and cache capacities! Let’s dive in and see if that holds true.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

Key Takeaways

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is AMD’s new gaming king, toppling the 7800X3D in performance and costing $479. It is also highly power—and thermally efficient and overclockable, a first in AMD’s X3D CPUs.
Get the Ryzen 7 9800X3D if you want the best gaming performance, impressive efficiency, and AVX-512 support.
Don’t buy the Ryzen 7 9800X3D if you want a CPU purely for productivity work, or if you’re gaming at higher resolutions .

Here’s a quick look at the specifications compared to similar chips.

Product	Ryzen 7 9800X3D	Ryzen 7 7800X3D	Ryzen 9 9900X
Manufacturer	AMD	Intel	AMD
Processing node	TSMC 4nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	TSMC 4nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)
No. of cores	8	8	12
No. of threads	16	16	24
Base frequencies	4.7 GHz	4.2 GHz	4.4 GHz
Max. turbo frequencies	5.2 GHz	5.0 GHz	5.6 GHz
Overclockable	Yes	No	Yes
L1 cache	640 KB	512 KB	960 KB
L2 cache	8 MB	8 MB	12 MB
L3 cache	96 MB	96 MB	64 MB
iGPU	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)
Base power	120W	120W	120W
Max. turbo power	–	–	–
MSRP – Current ($)	479	449 – 476	449 – 382

[toc]

The CPU has a slight bump in price ($479) compared to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($449). Let’s look at what’s different in the 9800X3D. Also, if you’re thinking of purchasing the CPU, here are our best recommendations for the RAM and motherboard:

The Second-Generation 3D V-Cache

AMD 2nd generation 3D V-cache design (Image Credits: AMD)

Besides the Zen 5 architectural improvements, AMD has also tweaked the 3D V-Cache design. The major change is a shift in the location of the L3 SRAM chiplet from above the CCD (Core Complex Die) to below it. Also, the L3 chiplet is now roughly the same size as the CCD, eliminating the need for structural silicon as in previous generations.

This is a great relief for the X3D design, as the older design (L3 chiplet above the CCD and surrounded by structural silicon) had significant limitations. It essentially acted as an insulation blanket, making it difficult for the heat output of the CCD to reach the CPU IHS. Since the CCD (which contains the CPU cores) is the major heat-generating source of the CPU and needs to dissipate heat efficiently, this was a major issue.

This is also why the X3D previous CPUs were not overclockable. Now, with the CCD above the L3 cache chiplet, it can dissipate its heat more efficiently. Thus, AMD was able to push the base clock speeds and enable overclocking on the chip.

According to a Gamers Nexus video covering the architecture, AMD also reduced the number of bonding layers (that connect the dies) at various points to improve heat transfer. Accessing the L3 cache has the same four-clock penalty, and the bandwidth between the CCD and L3 chiplet is the same as the previous generation, at 2.5 TB/s.

AMD Zen 5 Architecture

Core of AMD Zen 5 (Image Credits: AMD)

The improvement in the 3D V-Cache architecture is paired with the core Zen 5 improvements to bring that 8% uplift. AMD is using a new processing node and has improved all the key regions of the chip: the front end, the execution engine, and the back end.

Manufacturing Process: AMD has moved to TSMC’s 4nm process for the CPU cores, an improvement over the 5nm process of the last generation.
Front-end: On the front end, a dual-pipe fetch and improved branch prediction are the highlights. The branch prediction latency is reduced, and the accuracy has improved. Latency and bandwidth have been improved for the instruction cache. The dispatch bandwidth is up to 8 macro-ops/cycle from 6.
Execution engine: The Dispatch and Execute is wider, with an 8-wide dispatch/retire, 6 ALU and 3 multipliers, and a more unified ALU scheduler. The execution window is larger, enabling more instructions to be executed simultaneously.
AVX-512 support: AMD has added full AVX-512 support with a 512-bit datapath. The number of FP instructions in point has also been improved.
Load-store unit: Improvements to data bandwidth inside the Load/Store unit, including a bump in the L1 Data cache to 48 KB 12-way (vs. 32 KB 8-way). Data prefetching has been tweaked, too.

Platform Improvements

The key platform changes include:

New chipsets: AMD has introduced us to four new chipsets: X870(E), B850, and B840. The most notable change is that USB4 is mandatory in both X870 and X870E chipsets. You can rock the Ryzen 9000 CPUs with older 600-series chipset boards with a BIOS update, though.
Memory support and overclocking: AMD’s new AGESA firmware update adds support for DDR5-8000 and JEDEC-5600 speeds out of the box. Overclocking support has also been improved, with support for on-the-fly tuning added.
Curve Shaper: The new Curve Shaper allows you to adjust the voltage-frequency curve with more accuracy, providing 15 different bands to choose from.

Packaging and Unboxing

The packaging is nearly identical to the other Ryzen 9000 series CPUs we looked at. It is a mostly grey-themed box with orange lines running through it.

Toward the front, there is a cutout showing the CPU IHS. On the left side, inside the orange section, the 3D V-Cache Technology is highlighted.

The CPU comes in a plastic clamshell packaging, and we get an AMD Ryzen 7 sticker to put on your chassis.

We have the same design as previous Ryzen X3D CPUs. It maintains the same Z-height by cutting the L3 chiplet and CCD in size, so previous Zen 5-compatible coolers will work just fine.

Test Bench

Here’s a look at our test bench for the CPU:

CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio 24G
Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
Storage for OS: Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD
Storage for Software: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Storage for Games: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Power Supply: Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

Have a look at the CPU installed and ready to go:

CPU installed

Testing Methodology

All tests were run at Auto/Stock settings.
Any and all motherboard-based performance modes were disabled from BIOS.
The best available EXPO was used for the memory. DRAM timings and voltage were manually adjusted for each test.
All other voltages were left at default settings.
CPU cooler and pump were kept at maximum speeds during testing.
The GPU was run at stock settings.
Latest BIOS version was used for the motherboard.
All the sensors were monitored with HWinfo64

General Benchmarks

General benchmarks

1 of 4

Render benchmarks

1 of 4

Gaming Benchmarks

Let’s look at the gaming benchmarks, all tested at Ultra or equivalent preset. We added 1440P and 4K benchmarks along with the 1080P tests to better measure the CPU’s performance. This is the list of games we tested:

Alan Wake 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Elden Ring
F1 2024
Hogwarts Legacy
Spider-Man Remastered
Starfield
The Last Of Us

Gaming benchmarks

1 of 3

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D extends AMD’s gaming lead further:

It averaged 239 FPS across our 8 1080P gaming tests, improving on the 7800X3D by 3.6%.
In the 1440P gaming tests, the 9800X3D’s lead reduced to 2.8%. We also see the other CPUs closing in on its lead.
In the 4K benchmarks, the 9800X3d and 7800X3D are separated by less than 1%. All the other CPUs are in close range, with the Core Ultra 285K the furthest away, trailing by 2.13%.

Overall, the gaming performance numbers have improved, but not substantially. In 1080P and 1440P gaming, the improvements are still somewhat notable, but the 4K numbers are essentially the same as the 7800X3D.

Thermals And Power Consumption

Let’s look at the CPU’s thermal performance and power consumption statistics. As usual, we’re using the Cinebench R23 multi-threaded test to put load on the CPU. As a reminder, the CPU is rated at a 120W TDP.

Thermals and power (Image by Tech4Gamers)

The thermal and power consumption charts show that the new 3D V-Cache design is paying off well! The CPU can draw more power comfortably while running 7°C cooler.

During the Cinebench R23 MT run, the CPU consumed 118 watts compared to the 7800X3D (99 watts). That’s, of course, close to its rated TDP–which the 7800X3D failed to hit by a 21-watt gap. Overall, this is much better thermal and power efficiency, considering the CPU’s impressive gains across all the tests.

Price: Is It Good Enough?

The $479 CPU shows solid all-round performance

At $479, the CPU competes with the 7800X3D ($476), Core i9-14900K ($435), and Ryzen 9 7950X ($487). Let’s get one thing out of the way: the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is better in terms of 1080P gaming performance. If you aim for 1440P/4K gaming, the CPUs won’t show as much performance contrast. It’s certainly not worth upgrading to the 9800X3D if you only need a CPU for gaming, as a whole. Also, you’ll be better off with the other CPUs in multi-threaded and productivity applications owing to their higher core counts.

If you plan only to play games (especially at 1080P resolution), the CPU offers the best price and performance. But, adding productivity to the mix, you’ll want CPUs like the 7950X and 14900K, as they still perform far better than the 9800X3D.

Should You Buy It?

With this one, it should be easy enough to decide:

Buy It If:

✅ You need the best gaming performance: If you want the absolute fastest gaming chip on the market, the 9800X3D is the one, as it leaves every other CPU in the dust. F

✅ Efficiency is important: If you want a power—and thermally-efficient CPU, the 9800X3D consumes around a maximum of 120W while providing excellent gaming and rendering performance.

✅ You’re looking for full AVX-512 support: The chip has a full 512-bit datapath, which could come in handy for applications such as AI.

✅ Overclocking support is necessary: With an unlocked multiplier, the 9800X3D is the first CPU with a vertically stacked 3D cache to allow overclocking.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌ You want the best productivity performance: For productivity and synthetic applications, AMD’s 9950X and Intel’s Arrow Lake/Raptor Lake-R chips are better due to their higher core counts.

❌You’re aiming for higher resolutions: At higher resolutions (especially 4K), the difference between the 9800X3D and competing CPUs is much smaller. Most of these competing CPUs also beat it in productivity performance.

My Thoughts

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the top gaming CPU you can get right now, and it comes with a premium $479 tag. It dethrones AMD’s own Ryzen 7 7800X3D to become the best gaming performer in our list. Although, it should be noted that the bump in gaming performance is not big, and certainly not as much as the 8% AMD advertised. When the two CPUs are priced similarly (as was the case when we wrote this), the 9800X3D is definitely a better choice. In any case, the improvements shown are thanks to Zen 5’s architectural advancements paired with the second-gen 3D V-cache design.

The new 3D V-cache design allows the CPU to achieve better base clock speeds out of the box and enables overclocking for the chip. It also achieves better power efficiency, and even though it’s still rated at 120W, it managed to outperform the 7800X3D significantly in most tests. At the same time, it ran cooler than the Zen 4 chip despite drawing more power.

While the 9800X3D’s forte is definitely gaming, it also shows impressive productivity performance. The multi-core and single-core performance numbers are up a notable amount compared to the last generation, with the CPU beating the 8-core Ryzen 7 9700X in Geekbench and Cinebench multi-core tests. In some of our rendering tests, it stood between the 13600K and 13700K, which again is impressive, considering those CPUs have higher core counts.

All in all, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a crushing blow to the already struggling Intel. AMD’s only competition in the gaming arena was themselves, and they successfully outdid themselves. In rendering performance, the CPU’s impressive gains also make its name known to users who want to mix gaming and productivity. Meanwhile, its 120W TDP and improved thermal efficiency means it carries Zen 5’s power-efficiency reputation forward.

Recent Updates

November 9, 2024: We added 1440P and 4K benchmarks for more insights into the CPU’s gaming performance.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Review: 3D V-Cache Shines Again! is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X Review: A Productivity Powerhouse, A Gaming Letdown

Dr. Usman Saleem — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:00:44 +0000

After testing the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X, we’ve gotten our hands on one of the big dogs: the Ryzen 9 9900X. As with the lower-end chips, there is not much difference in specifications, but AMD is expecting architectural changes to do the job instead. Still, let’s go over the CPU specifications to start.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

Key Takeaways

The Ryzen 9 9900X is one of the two new high-end chips from AMD’s lineup, boasting lower TDP ratings than its predecessor and showing impressive efficiency. However, its gaming performance failed to amuse.
For those seeking excellent single-core and multi-core performance, great power efficiency, and native AVX-512 support, the Ryzen 9 9900X is a great chip.
If you want a gaming chip, the Ryzen 9 9900X is not the way to go, as even its own brother, the 9700X, matches it in gaming performance.

Here are the specs compared to CPUs in a similar price bracket.

Product	Ryzen 9 9900X	Core i9-13900K	Ryzen 9 7950X	Ryzen 9 7900X3D
Manufacturer	AMD	Intel	AMD	AMD
Processing node	TSMC 4nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	Intel 7 (10nm)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)
No. of cores	12	24 (8P, 16E)	16	12
No. of threads	24	32	32	24
Base frequencies	4.4 GHz	3.0 GHz (P-cores), 2.2 GHz (E-cores)	4.5 GHz	4.4 GHz
Max. turbo frequencies	5.6 GHz	5.4 GHz (P-cores), 4.3 GHz (E-cores)	5.7 GHz	5.6 GHz
L1 cache	960 KB	640 KB (P-cores), 1536 KB (E-cores)	1024 KB	768 KB
L2 cache	12 MB	32 MB	16 MB	12 MB
L3 cache	64 MB	36 MB	64 MB	128 MB
iGPU	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	Intel® UHD Graphics 770 (32 EUs)	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)
Base power	120W	125W	170W	120W
Max. turbo power	–	253W	–	–
MSRP ($)	449	469	~499	~$449

The Ryzen 9 9900X saw its price cut to $449 from $499 because the performance numbers didn’t please many users, including ourselves. It (at the time of writing) competes with the 13900K ($469), 7950X (~$492), and 7900X3D (~$449) in price. The power target has been lowered to 120W (vs. 170W) and the base speed to 4.4 GHz (vs. 4.7 GHz) of the 7900X.

[toc]

We’ve also covered these tested guides specifically tailored for the 9900X:

Architectural Changes

Zen 5 architecture foundation (Image Credits: AMD)

A brief look at the architectural changes that Zen 5 brought:

Processing node: The CPU cores are based on TSMC’s 4nm node, an improvement from last gen’s 5nm process.
Front-end: On the front end, we have a dual decode pipe for fetching, plus faster instruction cache. The branch prediction capabilities have also been improved.
Dispatch and execute: AMD has widened the Dispatch and Execute with an 8-wide dispatch/retire and a larger execution window. There are 6 ALUs and 3 multipliers, all controlled by a more “unified” ALU scheduler.
AVX-512 support: AMD has also added native support for AVX-512, with a full 512-bit data path, 6 pipelines, and more floating point instructions in flight.
Increased data bandwidth: We have more data bandwidth toward the back end thanks to a 12-way L1 data cache with improved latency and bandwidth. AMD has also improved the data prefetcher.

Platform Changes

AMD 800 series chipset (Image Credits: AMD)

With the Granite Ridge (Ryzen 9000) lineup, AMD introduces us to the new 800 series chipsets, with four models: X870E, X870, B850, and B840. B840 resembles A620, and USB4 is mandatory for X870E and X870.

Moreover, the new AGESA firmware improves memory support, supporting up to DDR5-8000 memory. Memory overclocking will be easier with on-the-fly adjustments. For CPU overclocking, the new Curve Shaper allows you to tune the voltage across 15 frequency-temperature bands.

Packaging and Unboxing

The packaging is similar to the Ryzen 7000 series.

The chip design is the same as the previous generation.

Test Bench

Here’s a look at our test system:

CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
Storage for OS: Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD
Storage for Software: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Storage for Games: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Power Supply: Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

Take a look at the CPU installed on our motherboard:

The Ryzen 9 9900X Installed

Testing Methodology

Default auto/stock settings were used for all tests.
Any and all motherboard-based performance modes were disabled from BIOS.
Memory EXPO profiles were used, plus DRAM timings and voltage were manually adjusted for each test.
All other voltages were left at auto settings.
The CPU cooler’s pump and fans were kept at full speed (100%) during testing.
The GPU was run at its stock settings.
Nvidia driver version was 517.48.
Latest BIOS version was used for the motherboard.
All the sensors were monitored with HWinfo64

General Benchmarks

As usual, we’re starting off with the general benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 9900X General Benchmarks

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Overall, the R9 9900X produced impressive numbers in all the tests except the Super Pi 32M calculation test.

Render Benchmarks

Ryzen 9 9900X Rendering Benchmarks

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In a nutshell, the rendering performance of this 12-core powerhouse is excellent. The single-core performance is one of the best we’ve seen so far, with the Zen 5 gang comfortably in the lead. As for multi-core performance, the Ryzen 9 9900X lands somewhere between the 13700K and 14700K, which are 16-core and 20-core CPUs, respectively.

Gaming Benchmarks

As the newest addition to our 1080P gaming charts, let’s see where the Ryzen 9 9900X stands. These are the games:

Alan Wake 2
Cyberpunk 2077
Elder Ring
F1 2024
Hogwarts Legacy
Spider-Man Remastered
Starfield
The Last Of Us 2

Average Gaming FPS @ 1080p

And, well, just like its little brothers, gaming performance is a complete let-down.

In fact, this one is the biggest disappointment so far, as it’s at the same level as the 9700X on average. In titles like Cyberpunk 2077, the 9700X outperformed the 9900X, while games like Starfield saw the 9900X take a marginal lead.

Thermals And Power

Alright, then. With its 120W TDP, how does it perform in thermals? Will it show the same impressive efficiency as the 9600X and 9700X?

Ryzen 9 9900X thermals and power, compared (Image by Tech4Gamers)

Power consumption is about as expected for a 120W unit, averaging 163W during the Cinebench R23 test. Our 360mm cooler didn’t break a sweat, keeping the CPU under 70C throughout. Again, this is very impressive efficiency considering that the Ryzen 9 9900X only trailed the 14700K marginally in most of our multi-threaded tests. So, Zen 5 continues to impress in efficiency.

As with the rest of the Zen 5 lineup, I would like to point out that AMD could have pushed for a higher thermal power design, perhaps 170W (the same as the 7900X). The lower power limits could be hurting performance, which perhaps could have otherwise matched the 14700K. Considering this launched as a $500 chip, I would say most users would have been okay with spending a decent sum on a cooler if it was a 170W unit.

Should You Buy It?

Is it the right chip for you?

Buy It If:

✅ You want multi-core and single-core excellence: For tasks other than gaming, whether multi-threaded or single-threaded, the 9900X is a great option.

✅ You need AVX-512 support: For AVX-512 workloads, the 9900X is the way to go, thanks to the full 512-bit datapath as part of Zen 5.

✅ You want a power-efficient CPU: With its (mostly) impressive performance, it also shows great power efficiency and does not require a very beefy cooling unit.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌ You’re expect top-tier gaming performance: For gaming, AMD’s 7800X3D is a far better option for around the same price. Meanwhile, if your workloads are mixed, Intel’s 14700K offers better value.

❌ Your budget is limited: Despite the price cut, the Ryzen 9 9900X cannot compete with the 14700K(F), which goes for under $400.

My Thoughts

The Ryzen 9 9900X is great, but the gaming performance is a letdown, and the pricing doesn’t justify its overall performance. It performed quite well in calculation and rendering, trailing the 14700K and beating it in a couple of tests, but the 14700K(F) is still over $50 cheaper and offers better gaming performance. Heck, even the 13700K is a better gaming chip! So, it’s hard to recommend the 9900X over these Intel i7s or the 7800X3D.

Its low power consumption and the fact that it can run on fairly cheap cooling are plus points, but they can’t cover up the shortcomings of its performance. In fact, AMD would have had a better chance if they kept the 170W TDP and pushed the stock clock speeds a little higher. You can get some good results by overclocking the chip, but then, of course, you’ll need better cooling as well.

All-in-all, I could have still recommended this chip for productivity workloads if it had a more modest price tag, but even at the current $449 rate, it’s hard to do so. It’s competing with the 13900K at this price, a CPU that will still blow it away in most productivity workloads. As for gaming, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D remains the king and can be cheaper than the 9900X if you shoot at the right time.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X Review: A Productivity Powerhouse, A Gaming Letdown is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

5 Best CPU For RX 7600 [Budget, Performance, Overclocking]

Awais Khan — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 16:42:05 +0000

With graphics cards getting increasingly expensive every year, it is very good to see some budget options come out. When we tested the RX 7600, we called it a value-packed choice for 1080p gamers. Well, if you plan to get one and want the best gaming experience, you also need to pair it with an equally competent CPU. This is where our team of dedicated hardware testers and I come in – we have been researching, testing, and comparing different processors from both AMD and Intel to round up the top choices for the RX 7600, and we have finally narrowed down our selections.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Awais Khan is our hardware expert who has been testing graphics cards, RAM, CPUs, and processors for years.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different CPUs for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See How We Test Processors).

Here’s a quick look at my recommended CPUs for the RX 7600:

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Intel Core i5 13400F

Intel Core i3 13100F

Intel Core i5 13600K

AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

Looks

Award

Best AMD CPU for RX 7600

Best Intel CPU for RX 7600

Best Budget CPU for RX 7600

Best High-End CPU for RX 7600

Best Value CPU for RX 7600

What We Liked

Performance, Performance-per-dollar ratio, Thermals, Overclocking potential

Good performance, DDR4 & DDR5, Affordable, Low power draw

Included cooler, Affordable, Low power draw, DDR4 & DDR5

Great overclocking potential, Excellent performance

Value for money, Low power draw, Overclockable, Integrated graphics

What We Disliked

No DDR4

No overclocking potential, No iGPU

High power draw, expensive

No DDR5 support

Socket

AMD AM5

FCLGA1700

AMD AM4

Cores

10 (6P + 4E)

4 (4P + 0E)

14 (6P + 8E)

Threads

Base Clock

4.7 GHz

1.8 GHz

3.4 GHz

2.6 GHz

3.9 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.3 GHz

Up to 4.6 GHz

Up to 4.5 GHz

Up to 5.1 GHz

Up to 4.4 GHz

TDP

105W

65W

58W

125W

65W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Looks

Award

Best AMD CPU for RX 7600

What We Liked

Performance, Performance-per-dollar ratio, Thermals, Overclocking potential

What We Disliked

No DDR4

Socket

AMD AM5

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

4.7 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.3 GHz

TDP

105W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i5 13400F

Looks

Award

Best Intel CPU for RX 7600

What We Liked

Good performance, DDR4 & DDR5, Affordable, Low power draw

What We Disliked

No overclocking potential, No iGPU

Socket

FCLGA1700

Cores

10 (6P + 4E)

Threads

Base Clock

1.8 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 4.6 GHz

TDP

65W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i3 13100F

Looks

Award

Best Budget CPU for RX 7600

What We Liked

Included cooler, Affordable, Low power draw, DDR4 & DDR5

What We Disliked

No overclocking potential, No iGPU

Socket

FCLGA1700

Cores

4 (4P + 0E)

Threads

Base Clock

3.4 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 4.5 GHz

TDP

58W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i5 13600K

Looks

Award

Best High-End CPU for RX 7600

What We Liked

Great overclocking potential, Excellent performance

What We Disliked

High power draw, expensive

Socket

FCLGA1700

Cores

14 (6P + 8E)

Threads

Base Clock

2.6 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.1 GHz

TDP

125W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

Looks

Award

Best Value CPU for RX 7600

What We Liked

Value for money, Low power draw, Overclockable, Integrated graphics

What We Disliked

No DDR5 support

Socket

AMD AM4

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

3.9 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 4.4 GHz

TDP

65W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

Last Updated:

September 19, 2024: We have made some formatting changes to improve readability.

Also, make sure to get the best variant of the RX 7600 by following our guide:

Best RX 7600 Graphics Cards

Best CPU For RX 7600

Here’s a list of all the processors I shall be covering for the RX 7600 GPU:

Best AMD: Ryzen 5 7600X
Best Intel: Core i5 13400F
Best Budget: Core i3 13100F
Best High-End: Core i5 13600K
Best Value: Ryzen 5 5600G

Ryzen 5 7600X

Best AMD CPU For The RX 7600

Ryzen 5 7600X Pictures

1 of 2

Pros

Amazing gaming performance
Great performance-per-dollar ratio
Outstanding thermal efficiency
Easily overclockable

Cons

No DDR4 support

Check Price

The Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores and 12 threads, making it a decent processor for gaming and creative tasks. Moreover, with a base clock speed of 4.7GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.3GHz, you should find no problems playing CPU-intensive games. The Ryzen 5 7600X has an acceptable thermal efficiency, showing an average of 72°C in my tests with the Noctua NH-D15S air cooler. If you wish to lower your temperatures further, you should utilize at least a 240mm AIO cooler. It is also important to note that overclocking will necessitate the use of a 240mm AIO liquid cooler.

While the Ryzen 5 7600X is a budget-oriented offering, the AM5 chipset is going to support the next couple of AMD processors, making it very future-proof. Moreover, almost all mainstream AMD processors offer manual overclocking opportunities, which also remains true for the Ryzen 5 7600X.

WARNING: Ensure your PSU meets the specific power requirements of the Core Ryzen 5 7600X to prevent potential instability or damage to your system.

Buy It If

✅You want an ideal processor for the RX 7600: The Ryzen 5 7600X packs enough performance to perfectly complement the RX 7600, resulting in great compatibility without any bottleneck issues.

✅You want to overclock your processor: Aside from raw performance, you can easily overclock the AMD CPU and GPU combo using the rage mode option.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want DDR4 support: If you don’t plan on upgrading your DDR4 RAM kit to a DDR5 kit, the Ryzen 5 7600X processor isn’t meant for you. The entire lineup only supports DDR5 RAM, so you must abandon the DDR4 generation.

What Makes It The Best AMD CPU For The RX 7600?

AMD Zen 4 processors and RDNA 3.0 graphics cards can access several technologies such as Smart Access Memory, AMD’s DDR5 RAM EXPO profiles, and rage mode for instant overclocking to provide greater performance. Add all that with the Ryzen 5 7600X CPU, and you get a zero bottlenecking processor with amazing performance and a low price. As such, the Ryzen 5 7600X is truly the Best AMD CPU For The RX 7600.

Performance: 10/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 10/10	Efficiency: 7/10

Core i5-13400F

Best Intel CPU For RX 7600

i5-13400F Pictures

1 of 2

Pros

Affordable
Great performance-per-dollar ratio
Low power draw
DDR4 and DDR5 support

Cons

Not overclockable
No integrated graphics

Check Price

The Core i5-13400F features 6 P-cores and 4 E-cores, totaling 10 cores and 16 threads. P-cores have base/boost clock speeds of 2.5GHz/4.6GHz, each with 2 threads. It has a shared L3 cache of 20MB and offers faster single-core performance, making it well-suited for CPU-intensive gaming. The Core i5-13400F has a modest TDP of 65W, which means the included stock cooler should suffice for the processor. Of course, you can upgrade to a better air cooler or an AIO if you are dealing with heavier workloads. Using the DeepCool AK-400 White, I achieved a maximum of 60°C under heavier loads with my Core i5-13400F.

The Core i5-13400F’s future-proofing abilities are limited by the LGA 1700 socket, which leaves the 14th gen processors as the only viable upgrade options. Moreover, it also arrives with a locked multiplier, meaning overclocking the processor for a performance uplift will not be possible either.

PRO TIP: The “F” designation in Intel processors, like the Core i5-13400F, indicates the absence of integrated graphics.

Buy It If

✅You want amazing performance within a reasonable budget: For its price, the performance the Core i5-13400F provides is phenomenal. While there are other value and budget options, the Core i5-13400F may cost a bit more but also provides more performance.

✅You don’t want to buy a new CPU cooler: Even without buying another CPU cooler, you can get great thermals with the stock cooler that comes with the processor.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want to overclock your processor: If you want to overclock your processor, you’ll want to buy something else. The Core i5-13400F is completely locked, providing zero overclocking support.

❌You want an integrated graphics card: While iGPUs aren’t always favored, they can be great tools for troubleshooting. If you require an iGPU, you should purchase the Core i5-13400. The only difference between both processors is the addition of an integrated graphics card.

What Makes It The Best Intel CPU For The RX 7600?

Because we’re looking at a mid-range graphics card, the best mid-range processor in Intel’s arsenal is the Core i5-13400F. The CPU provides amazing single-core performance and works great for creative tasks. You should find minimal bottlenecking with this combo and save a lot of wattage. If you’re using a Mini-ITX case without much room for thermal improvement, the processor is the perfect addition to the rig. Therefore, all these points make the Core i5-13400F the best Intel CPU for RX 7600 graphics card.

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 7/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Core i3-13100F

Best Budget CPU For AMD RX 7600

i3-13100F Pictures

1 of 2

Pros

Decent box cooler
Very affordable
Low power draw
DDR4 and DDR5 support

Cons

Not overclockable
No integrated graphics

Check Price

Unlike higher-end 13th gen offerings, the Core i3-13100F exclusively features performance cores, boasting 4 P-cores and 8 threads. With a base clock of 3.4GHz and boost up to 4.5GHz, its on-paper specs may not stand out, but faster IPC speeds, enhanced single-core performance, and a 12MB L3 cache enhance efficiency.

Intel has rated the Core i3-13100F with a base TDP of 58W, making it very easy to cool. During my game testing, the Core i3-13100F reached a maximum temperature of 49°C. If you don’t want to spend extra money on a good CPU cooler, you can still get decent results even with Intel’s stock cooler.

Buy It If

✅You are on a limited budget: Being an entry-level gaming processor, the Core i3-13100F provides amazing performance for its price. Pairing the CPU with the RX 7600 GPU can help build a great-budget PC.

✅You don’t want to upgrade CPU coolers: Even without upgrading your CPU cooler, you can get amazing thermal performance with Intel’s stock cooler.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want to overclock your CPU: If you plan on overclocking your CPU, it’s best to look at Intel’s “K” series processors or AMD processors. The “F” series processors are fully locked.

❌You require integrated graphics: If you’re picky about having an iGPU for troubleshooting purposes, the Core i3-13100F won’t cut it. The processor does not provide an iGPU, and you’ll have to look elsewhere.

What Makes It The Best Budget CPU For AMD RX 7600?

The performance per dollar ratio, power efficiency, and thermal efficiency are the strongest points that make the Core i3-13100F the best-budget CPU for the AMD RX 7600. During testing, I did not find any major bottlenecking issues either.

Performance: 8/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 7/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Core i5-13600K

Best High-End CPU For AMD RX 7600

i5-13600K Pictures From Our Review

1 of 3

Pros

High overclocking headroom
Great multi-threaded performance
Superb gaming performance

Cons

High power draw
Expensive

Check Price

The Core i5-13600K boasts 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores, totaling 20 threads. With a base clock speed of 3.5GHz and a boost up to 5.1GHz per performance core, it delivers impressive single-core and multi-threaded performance, making it ideal for gaming and productivity tasks. Despite the Core i5-13600K’s advertised 125W TDP, keeping the temperatures at a reasonable level can be challenging. In my testing with a 360mm AIO liquid cooler, the i5-13600K peaked at 70°C in Cinebench R23. Therefore, a capable 360mm AIO liquid cooler is recommended for the processor, especially if you are considering overclocking.

Given its performance, the Core i5-13600K is one of the better processors you can opt for if you intend to get the most out of the RX 7600. Furthermore, it showcases immense overclocking potential as long as it is provided with enough cooling, which will allow it to last longer compared to other offerings.

Our senior hardware tester, Nauman Siddique, was amazed by the value the i5-13600K provides, stating:

The Intel Core i5-13600K stands out as the best value gaming CPU in the market. It delivers impressive gaming performance while also excelling in overall tasks, making it a compelling choice.

Buy It If

✅You want superior gaming performance: If you want to game at higher resolutions with a greater refresh rate, the Core i5-13600K can help achieve your target. With its single-core performance, you can hit higher FPS in CPU-intensive games.

✅You want to overclock your CPU: While overclocking can sometimes be dangerous, the Core i5-13600K is a stable processor if you want the most effective overclock. I went from 5.1GHz to a stable 5.6GHz by slightly bumping up the core voltage.

✅Productivity tasks hold greater importance: Out of all the other processors in today’s list, the Core i5-13600K has the most cores and threads. Thus, making it an amazing processor for productivity tasks.

Don't Buy It If

❌You’re on a small budget: The Core i5-13600K isn’t affordable for everyone. Many other budget options besides the 13600K from Intel and AMD also provide amazing performance.

What Makes It The Best High-End CPU For AMD RX 7600?

Along with remarkable single-core and multi-threaded performance, the Core i5-13600K is on par with Intel’s best processor from the previous generation. While falling under the same price range as the AMD graphics card, the Core i5-13600K is the best high-end CPU for the RX 7600.

Performance: 10/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 7/10

Ryzen 5 5600G

Best Value CPU For AMD RX 7600

Ryzen 5 5600G Pictures From Our Review

1 of 2

Pros

Excellent value for money
Low power draw
Overclockable
Integrated Vega graphics

Cons

No DDR5 support

Check Price

The Ryzen 5 5600G houses 6 cores and 12 threads. Each core has a base clock speed of 3.9GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.4GHz. Additionally, the processor has 16MB of L2 cache and 20MB of L3 cache, which improves gaming performance. While I was testing the processor, the temperature peaked at 57°C with the Cinebench R23 all-core test. AMD also provides a decent wraith stock cooler, which is enough to cool the processor if you don’t plan on overclocking. Of course, a more capable air cooler might be required if you plan on overclocking.

With no support for PCIe Gen 5, DDR5 memory, and 7000-series processors, the AM4 socket seems to be showing its age; however, the Ryzen 5 5600G can still hold its own in modern titles. You can also overclock the CPU for a performance uplift as long as you have the required thermal headroom.

PRO TIP: Pair the Ryzen 5 5600G with a capable X570-based motherboard if you want to get the most out of your CPU.

Buy It If

✅You’re on a low budget: If you almost overdid it with the RX 7600 GPU, you can get an amazing combination with the Ryzen 5 5600G processor. It can be helpful for gaming and productive tasks.

✅You require integrated graphics: The Vega iGPU can save users from many problems when they troubleshoot their PC. You can also play multiple games while using the iGPU itself.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want DDR5 RAM: The AMD 5000 series processors aren’t compatible with DDR5 RAM, so you won’t be able to utilize the latest RAM technology.

What Makes It The Best Value CPU For AMD RX 7600?

Along with the performance per dollar ratio, the Ryzen 5 5600G allows users to overclock their processor while staying thermally efficient. Moreover, the CPU does not consume excessive power and has a strong iGPU, which can run multiple games. All in all, for its price, the Ryzen 5 5600G is the best value CPU for RX 7600.

Performance: 8/10	Value: 10/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Gaming Benchmarks of The Best CPUs For RX 7600

Our hardware experts conducted a series of tests to assess the gaming performance of the Best CPUs For RX 7600. Here are the results:

Gaming Benchmarks of the Best CPU for RT 7600

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Important CPU Key Terms

Cores: A CPU core is an independent processing unit within a CPU that can separately execute instructions. Modern-day CPUs have multiple cores for faster instructions.
Threads: Threads are the smallest units of a program that can be executed separately by a processor.
Cache: A CPU has three types of cache, L1, L2, and L3 cache. These are small amounts of fast-speed memory that save the location of directories that are opened repeatedly.
Clock Speed: The clock speed of a CPU refers to the number of data cycles it can complete in one second. Unlike popular opinion, faster clock speeds don’t generally mean better performance.
TDP: Also known as Thermal Design Power, TDP is the heat a processor emits. The term is used interchangeably with wattage consumption, but there’s a minor difference between both.
IPC: Short for Instructions Per Clock, the IPC showcases the number of instructions executed by a CPU in one second. Faster IPC means better productivity and gaming performance.
Overclocking: Overclocking is when you increase the clock speed of your CPU, GPU or RAM beyond the manufacturer’s certified speed. It is done by increasing the core voltage of the part you’re overclocking.

How We Picked These CPUs

There are various things you must consider before purchasing a processor. For example, the gaming performance, thermal and power efficiency, overclocking support, and value for money are important considerations. It can be tough to choose the best CPU, but here’s how I did it:

Performance: Knowing which processor is best suited for a graphics card can only be possible through research. For the most part, I opted for processors with more cores, threads, and faster clock speeds. Improved IPC speeds are a bonus. Of course, I had to remember that my processor should only be strong enough to run the GPU properly and not overshadow it.
Overclocking Support: Being able to overclock your processor is a bonus point to gain a little extra bit of performance. Therefore, while it doesn’t hold top priority, I looked for processors that can be overclocked. Most processors I chose have good overclocking support, and AMD CPUs generally utilize “rage mode”, through which you can overclock your AMD CPU and GPU with one click.
Value For Money: Before making a purchase, you always want to check the processor’s performance per dollar ratio. You also want to check whether the CPU you wish to purchase is significantly stronger than your current CPU. Even for the most affordable processor I selected, I ensured it provided more value than its price.
Efficiency: You don’t want to buy a CPU that requires a lot of power but provides less performance. Subsequently, you also don’t want to buy a processor that emits a lot of heat. To explain, if you purchase a budget CPU but to cool it you need a more expensive CPU cooler, it’d be better to purchase a better CPU from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RX 7600 good for gaming?

Yes. The RX 7600 GPU is a great 1080P and decent 1440P gaming card. You can easily hit 144 FPS in most games at 1080P resolution.

What is the RX 7600 equivalent to?

The AMD RX 7600 is equivalent to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. In terms of performance, however, the AMD RX 7600 is equivalent to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.

What CPU is best for the RX 7600?

Through our testing and benchmarks, the Core i5-13600K is the best processor to pair with the RX 7600 GPU. However, there are also other options you can find in this article.

Recent Updates

February 11, 2024: Few text changes to improve readability.

Awais Khan

[Hardware Reviewer]

Awais Khan is a Tech Geek, conscientious, reliable, and hardworking individual who pays attention to detail with excellent time management skills. Alongside that, he is an expert in PC Hardware; dealing with Benchmarks, Analysis, and testing before sharing information with readers. Whenever free, Awais occasionally shares Gaming Videos on his YouTube Channel.

Get In Touch: awais@tech4gamers.com

5 Best CPU For RX 7600 [Budget, Performance, Overclocking] is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

We Tested The BEST CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Sameed Hussain — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:44:16 +0000

Boasting the new RDNA 3.0 architecture, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT are the fastest and second-fastest graphics cards from AMD. However, apart from a few dialed-up specs and a $100 price bump, the CPU compatibility of the two GPUs is actually quite similar. I have tested and reviewed a bunch of different CPUs from both Intel and AMD to compile my list of the Best CPUs for RX 7900 XTX & 7900 XT.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Sameed Hussain is our hardware expert who has been testing graphics cards, processors, CPUs, and motherboards for years.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different CPUs for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See How We Test Processors).

Here are my recommendations for the Best CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT:

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Intel Core i7-13700K

Ryzen 5 9600X

Intel Core i9-14900K

Looks

Award

Best AMD CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Best Intel CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Best Budget CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Best High-End CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

What We Liked

Best Gaming CPU, 96MB L3 Cache

Overall Performance, Overclocking Potential

Top-notch single-threaded performance, Outstanding power efficiency and thermal performance

Exceptional Gaming and Productivity Performance

What We Disliked

Locked Multiplier, High Thermals

High Thermals and Power Consumption

Unimpressive multi-threaded performance

High Cost, Power Draw, and Thermals

Socket

AM5

LGA 1700

AM5

LGA 1700

Cores

16 (8+8)

24 (8+16)

Threads

Base Clock

4.2GHz

2.5 GHz, 3.4 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

3.9 GHz

2.4 GHz, 3.2 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

Boost Clock

5.0GHz

4.2 GHz, 5.3 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

5.4 GHz

4.4 GHz, 5.6 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

L2 Cache

8MB

24MB

6MB

32MB

TDP

120W

125W, 253W (Base, Maximum Turbo)

65W

125W, 253W (Base, Maximum Turbo)

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Looks

Award

Best AMD CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

What We Liked

Best Gaming CPU, 96MB L3 Cache

What We Disliked

Locked Multiplier, High Thermals

Socket

AM5

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

4.2GHz

Boost Clock

5.0GHz

L2 Cache

8MB

TDP

120W

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i7-13700K

Looks

Award

Best Intel CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

What We Liked

Overall Performance, Overclocking Potential

What We Disliked

High Thermals and Power Consumption

Socket

LGA 1700

Cores

16 (8+8)

Threads

Base Clock

2.5 GHz, 3.4 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

Boost Clock

4.2 GHz, 5.3 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

L2 Cache

24MB

TDP

125W, 253W (Base, Maximum Turbo)

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Ryzen 5 9600X

Looks

Award

Best Budget CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

What We Liked

Top-notch single-threaded performance, Outstanding power efficiency and thermal performance

What We Disliked

Unimpressive multi-threaded performance

Socket

AM5

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

3.9 GHz

Boost Clock

5.4 GHz

L2 Cache

6MB

TDP

65W

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i9-14900K

Looks

Award

Best High-End CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

What We Liked

Exceptional Gaming and Productivity Performance

What We Disliked

High Cost, Power Draw, and Thermals

Socket

LGA 1700

Cores

24 (8+16)

Threads

Base Clock

2.4 GHz, 3.2 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

Boost Clock

4.4 GHz, 5.6 GHz (Efficient, Performance)

L2 Cache

32MB

TDP

125W, 253W (Base, Maximum Turbo)

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

Last Updated:

September 17, 2024: After testing the Ryzen 5 9600X and Core i9-14900K, we have included them in our recommendation because they work great with both the RX 7900 XTX and the RX 7900 XT.

[toc]

Make sure to go for the best variant of the two GPUs before you look into purchasing the right CPU:

Best CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Following are the Best CPUs for RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX that you can purchase:

Best AMD: Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Best Intel: Core i7-13700K
Best Budget: Ryzen 5 9600X
Best High-End: Core i9-14900K

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Best AMD CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

Best Gaming CPU
96MB L3 Cache

Cons

Locked Multiplier
Average Productivity Benchmarks
High Thermals

Get It Now

Read Our Ryzen 7 7800X3D Review

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D boasts 8 cores, 16 threads, and an impressive 96MB of L3 Cache, courtesy of its innovative 3D V-cache design. While it is regarded as one of the fastest gaming CPUs in the market, it does feature slightly reduced base and boost clock speeds at 4.2 GHz and 5.0 GHz, respectively. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s TDP rating sits at 120W, necessitating the need for a decent cooler to maintain safe temperatures. During my gaming tests, it achieved an average temperature of 63C, which is why a 280mm AIO is recommended for this CPU.

With the Ryzen 7 7800X3D’s excellent performance, you won’t feel the need to upgrade for a reasonably long time. The AM5 platform combined with DDR5 support also provides plenty of future upgradability; however, manual overclocking support is something you will miss out on.

WARNING: Please note that the Ryzen 7 7800X3D does not support overclocking, limiting potential performance enhancements.

Buy It If

✅You want the best possible gaming performance: In all of my tests, I was blown away by the remarkable gaming performance of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want a cooler CPU: With the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, I found the high thermals to be quite disappointing.

What Makes It The Best AMD CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT?

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX and the RX 7900 XT are very gaming-centric graphics cards. As such, the best CPU for these graphics cards should also offer outstanding gaming performance. Therefore, the gaming performance of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is what makes it the Best AMD CPU for RX 7900 XT & RX 7900 XTX.

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 10/10	Future Proofing: 9/10

Intel Core i7-13700K

Best Intel CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

i7-13700K Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

Great Overall Performance
Offers Value For Money
Overclocking Potential

Cons

High Thermals
High Power Consumption

Get It Now

Read Our Intel Core i7-13700K Review

The Core i7-13700K strikes the perfect balance between gaming and productivity performance. It houses 16 cores, split into 8 performance and 8 efficient cores, with 24 threads, which are complemented by the remarkable base and boost clock speeds of 3.4 GHz and 5.3 GHz on the P-cores. You will have to spend on a high-end AIO or custom liquid cooling setup to cool down the i7-13700K. To put it into perspective, I recorded a peak temperature of 76°C with the processor despite the use of a custom 1260mm AIO radiator, which shows how thermally inefficient the Core i7-13700K is.

The Core i7-13700K comes with support for both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM while also offering an upgrade path to Intel’s 14th gen offerings, in case you want a performance uplift. Being a “K” series chip, the i7-13700K can be overclocked with ease as long as you have a high-performance cooler to keep up with the processor.

Our hardware reviewer, Nauman Siddique, found the Core i7-13700K’s balanced performance to be its best aspect, stating:

“If you seek both gaming excellence and extra performance, the Core i7-13700K is the choice to make.”

Buy It If

✅You want balanced productivity and gaming performance: Given the performance figures that the i7-13700K has to offer, it is truly the best gaming and productivity CPU to go for with the RX 7900 XTX or the RX 7900 XT.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want an easy-to-cool CPU: You will have to invest in a high-end AIO to cool down this beast.

What Makes It The Best Intel CPU for RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT?

The Core i7-13700K lived up to its name in all my tests. The processor performed exceptionally well in both gaming and productivity costs. Plus, its support for DDR4 and DDR5 RAM increases the overall appeal as well. All of these reasons and more make the i7-13700K the Best Intel CPU for RX 7900 XT & RX 7900 XTX.

Performance: 9/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 9/10	Future Proofing: 8/10

Ryzen 5 9600X

Best Budget CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

Ryzen 5 9600X Pictures From Our Review

1 of 3

Pros

Top-notch single-threaded performance
Outstanding power efficiency and thermal performance
New curve shaper feature
Decent overclocking performance

Cons

Unimpressive multi-threaded performance
No improvements in gaming performance

Check Price

Read Our Ryzen 5 9600X Review

AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 series CPUs have garnered much attention, bringing incredible thermal and power efficiency boosts. The Ryzen 5 9600X is similar, boasting six cores, 12 threads, and a low 65W TDP. So, with the lower TDP, the CPU was 36.7% more power efficient during our performance benchmarking than the Ryzen 5 7600X. Similarly, the processor was also 21°C cooler (or 34.4% cooler) than its predecessor.

Aside from these gains, the Ryzen 5 9600X doesn’t show any substantial improvements in gaming performance, even with the Windows 11 24H2 update. Therefore, although the CPU sees phenomenal improvements in one sector, it’s not the best future-proof option if you’re upgrading from a Ryzen 7000 series processor. However, I’m still happy with the processor’s performance, especially considering its price.

Here’s what our hardware reviewer, Usman Saleem, commented in his review of the Ryzen 5 9600X:

The Ryzen 5 9600X emerges as the new mid-ranger from AMD’s lineup, but not as the ideal one. It shows great single-core performance numbers and supports AVX-512 but is limited heavily by reduced power targets and clock speeds. This does mean that power and thermal efficiency are great, but gaming performance numbers have barely improved over the last gen, and AMD continues to trail Intel in multi-threaded performance.

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to update your Windows 11 to the 24H2 patch to get the full potential of the Ryzen 5 9600X CPU.

Buy It If

✅ You prefer efficiency: I recommend purchasing the Ryzen 5 9600X if you want your CPU to consume less power and be cooler even at higher loads. During our testing, the CPU averaged 52W in 1080p gaming, and the temperatures did not exceed 61°C during our Cinebench R23 test.

Don't Buy It If

❌ You want to see greater improvements in gaming performance from your upgrade: This CPU is not for you if you’re looking for a greater performance boost from your previous processor. We only saw a 2 FPS difference between the 7600X and the 9600X CPUs at 1080p resolution.

What Makes It The Best Budget CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT?

The Ryzen 5 9600X is a great processor for its price, requiring less power and cooling capabilities. It has top-notch single-threaded performance and showcases decent overclocking headroom, making it the best budget CPU for the RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT graphics cards. If you’re looking for efficiency, this CPU is perfect for you.

Performance: 8/10	Value: 10/10
Features: 9/10	Future Proofing: 8/10

Intel Core i9-14900K

Best High-End CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT

i9-14900K Pictures From Our Review

1 of 3

Pros

Unparalleled Productivity Performance
Excellent Gaming Performance

Cons

Very Expensive
Needs High-End Cooler
High Power Consumption

Get It Now

The processor comes with 8-P and 16-E cores, which brings its total core count to 24. Combine that with its 32 threads, and you get a processor that does not break a sweat in both intensive single-core and multi-core workloads. The P-cores can reach up to an extraordinary 5.8 GHz frequency, further adding to its performance. The i9-14900K is the hottest CPU I have tested, which means cooling the processor can be a challenge. With a base power of 125W, the i9-14900K can draw north of 253W at intensive workloads. so you will have to go with a top-tier AIO or a custom cooling setup to tame this beast.

Whether it was productivity benchmarks or gaming, the processor nailed every workload I threw at it and handled it with perfection, making it the ideal processor for anyone looking for a future-proof option.

PRO TIP: For maximum stability, ensure to pair the i9-13900K with a high-wattage PSU to meet the demanding power requirements of this high-end processor.

Buy It If

✅You prioritize performance: If you are a performance enthusiast who wants the best of the best processors for your RX 7900 XTX or RX 7900 XT, then the i9-14900K is for you.

Don't Buy It If

❌You don’t want a power-hungry CPU: Your PSU needs to be well-built with a high capacity as well to support the entire rig.

What Makes It The Best High-End CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT?

The specs on paper, the productivity benchmarks, and the gaming performance, everything about the i9-14900K make it the Best High-End CPU For RX 7900 XT & RX 7900 XTX.

Performance: 10/10	Value: 7/10
Features: 9/10	Future Proofing: 9/10

Our Tested Gaming Benchmarks

Both the RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT are fantastic graphics cards for gaming. Therefore, the processors I am recommending should also pack enough performance to complement these high-end GPUs. I tested these processors through various productivity software and games to gauge them based on their performance, temperatures, and power consumption. These tests helped me recommend the best CPUs for RX 7900 XT and RX 7900 XTX.

Ryzen 5 9600X Performance Benchmarks

1 of 3

Important CPU Key Terms

There are many technicalities revolving around CPUs. Here are a few key terms to look out for whenever you’re searching for a CPU:

Cores: The actual execution of tasks and computation falls on the cores’ shoulders. A good gaming CPU should have 8 or more cores.
Threads: Applications or programs issue logical instructions known as threads to the CPU cores for execution.
Multi-Threading: Multi-Threading (AMD) or Hyper-Threading (Intel) allows a single CPU core to execute two or more threads simultaneously.
Cache: The cache is a little chunk of quick memory that is permanently attached to the CPU die. The cache is divided into three levels: L1, L2, and L3. L1 cache is the fastest and closest to the CPU, but it also has the smallest capacity.
Clock Speed: The amount of data cycles a processor can perform in a second is known as its clock speed. The base clock is the speed at which the processor will operate at all times, and the boost clock is the speed at which it will operate under high workloads.
TDP: The amount of heat generated by a processor is called its TDP. The TDP number indicates the type of CPU cooler you need. The higher the TDP, the more heat the CPU will generate, and hence, you will need a bigger cooler.
Overclocking: By giving additional power to the CPU, you can have it run at clock speeds higher than its stock settings.

Specs Comparison Table

CPU	Cores	Threads	L2 Cache (MB)	Base Clock (GHz)	Boost Clock (GHz)	TDP (W)	Average 1080p Gaming (FPS)	Average Gaming Power Consumption (W)
Ryzen 7 7800X3D	8	16	8	4.2	5.0	120	231	47
i7-13700K	16	24	24	3.4	5.4	125	210	109
Ryzen 5 9600X	6	12	6	3.90	5.40	65	197	52
i9-14900K	24	32	32	3.2	5.8	125	219.2	145

How We Tested These CPUs

To ensure that the CPU I recommend you are undoubtedly the best for these graphics cards, I tested them over several factors.

Performance: I ran several gaming and productivity tests to judge the performance of each CPU. This way, I had a clear picture in mind as to which processors pack the necessary performance to go with the RX 7900 XTX/XT. Similarly, whenever you’re buying a processor, make sure to search for its benchmarks and tests to analyze its performance.
Value For Money: If you are ever in the market for processors, make sure to do thorough research into similarly priced processors and compare them based on their performance and other stats. This way, you will get the best bang for the buck CPU.
Power Consumption and Thermal Efficiency: High power consumption equates to high temperature, which ultimately means more AIO expenses. Well, if you are after a performance-centric build, then there is not really an escape from high temps, and you will have to go for a good quality CPU cooler.
Overclocking: I also tested the overclocking potential of my recommended processors. I overclocked these processors to determine the maximum stable clock speeds I could achieve, and now you also have an idea of how much performance you can get out of your CPU.

FAQs

Which CPU should I get for the RX 7900 XTX/XT?

Processors like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Core i7-13700K are the best for RX 7900 XT/XTX. If you are after a budget CPU, then the i5-13600K is also a good choice.

What is the minimum CPU for RX 7900 XT/XTX?

If you are building a gaming PC with the latest AMD graphics cards like the RX 7900 XT or the RX 7900 XTX, then you should go with at least the Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

What CPU won’t bottleneck an RX 7900 XTX or RX 7900 XT?

The Core i5-13600K and the Ryzen 7 5800X3D won’t bottleneck the RX 7900 XTX/XT.

Also Read:

Recent Updates

April 1, 2024: Based on my testing, I have included the Cinebench R23 score, 1080p gaming performance, and average power consumption of my picks.

Sameed Hussain

[Hardware Expert]

With a major in Computer Science, Sameed is a tech enthusiast who puts his passion for gadgets into words and creates informative blogs. From comparing different hardware to reviewing the best RAMs, motherboards, and graphics cards for your next build, Sameed has covered a wide spectrum of topics that have given him a special insight into every nook and cranny of the tech world. Sameed is also a certified expert at Computer Hardware & Networking.

Get In Touch: sameed@tech4gamers.com

We Tested The BEST CPU For RX 7900 XTX & RX 7900 XT is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

6 Best CPUs For RX 7700 XT In 2024 [Tested With Benchmarks]

Dr. Usman Saleem — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 14:15:01 +0000

AMD’s Radeon RX 7700 XT is one of the strongest graphics cards in the mid-range category, boasting superb gaming performance and a versatile feature set. Its excellent gaming performance in modern titles has established it as one of the best 1440p graphics cards on the market. With such an excellent performer, it is ideal to pair an equally powerful CPU to minimize bottlenecks and maximize the value for money.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different CPUs for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See How We Test Processors).

Here’s a quick look at our selected CPUs for RX 7700 XT and a brief comparison of their specs:

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Intel Core i5 13600K

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

Intel Core i5 13400F

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

AMD Ryzen 5 5600

Looks

Award

Best AMD CPU For RX 7700 XT

Best Intel CPU For RX 7700 XT

Best Overall Gaming CPU For RX 7700 XT

Best Budget CPU For RX 7700 XT

Best High-End CPU For RX 7700 XT

Best Value CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Performance, Efficiency, Unlocked, Value for money

Overclocking potential, Solid performance, DDR4 and DDR5 support

Affordable platform, Good performance, Value for money

Affordable, Included cooler, Good performance

Power Consumption, L3 Cache, Performance,

Value for money, Decent performmance, Good power draw

What We Disliked

Only DDR5, Pricey motherboards

Slightly higher power draw

No overclocking support

No overclocking support, No iGPU

Locked Multiplier, Pricey

No DDR5 support

Socket

AMD AM5

FCLGA1700

AMD AM4

FCLGA1700

AMD AM5

AMD AM4

Cores

14 (6P + 8E)

10 (6P + 4E)

Threads

Base Clock

4.7 GHz

2.6 GHz

3.4 GHz

1.8 GHz

4.2 GHz

3.5 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.3 GHz

Up to 5.1 GHz

Up to 4.5 GHz

Up to 5.4 Up to 4.6 GHz

Up to 5.0 GHz

Up to 4.4 GHz

TDP

105W

125W

105W

65W

120W

65W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Looks

Award

Best AMD CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Performance, Efficiency, Unlocked, Value for money

What We Disliked

Only DDR5, Pricey motherboards

Socket

AMD AM5

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

4.7 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.3 GHz

TDP

105W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i5 13600K

Looks

Award

Best Intel CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Overclocking potential, Solid performance, DDR4 and DDR5 support

What We Disliked

Slightly higher power draw

Socket

FCLGA1700

Cores

14 (6P + 8E)

Threads

Base Clock

2.6 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.1 GHz

TDP

125W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

Looks

Award

Best Overall Gaming CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Affordable platform, Good performance, Value for money

What We Disliked

No overclocking support

Socket

AMD AM4

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

3.4 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 4.5 GHz

TDP

105W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

Intel Core i5 13400F

Looks

Award

Best Budget CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Affordable, Included cooler, Good performance

What We Disliked

No overclocking support, No iGPU

Socket

FCLGA1700

Cores

10 (6P + 4E)

Threads

Base Clock

1.8 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.4 Up to 4.6 GHz

TDP

65W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Looks

Award

Best High-End CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Power Consumption, L3 Cache, Performance,

What We Disliked

Locked Multiplier, Pricey

Socket

AMD AM5

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

4.2 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 5.0 GHz

TDP

120W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 5600

Looks

Award

Best Value CPU For RX 7700 XT

What We Liked

Value for money, Decent performmance, Good power draw

What We Disliked

No DDR5 support

Socket

AMD AM4

Cores

Threads

Base Clock

3.5 GHz

Boost Clock

Up to 4.4 GHz

TDP

65W

Unlocked

Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Newegg

Buy on Newegg

[toc]

Getting the RX 7800 XT? Make sure to check:

Best CPU For RX 7800 XT

Last Updated:

September 14: We have made some formatting changes to improve readability.

[toc]

Best CPU For RX 7700 XT

These are my recommended CPUs for RX 7700 XT:

Best High-End: Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Best Intel: Core i5 13600K
Best AMD: Ryzen 5 7600X
Best Overall Gaming: Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Best Budget: Core i5-13400F
Best Value: Ryzen 5 5600

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Best High-End CPU For RX 7700 XT

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

Best-in-class gaming performance
Loads of L3 cache
Reasonable power consumption
Excellent productivity

Cons

Relatively expensive
No overclocking support

Check Price

Combining the excellent AMD Zen 4 architecture with the revolutionary 3D V-Cache technology is a recipe for success, and that is what AMD did with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Featuring 96MB of L3 cache along with 8 cores and 16 threads, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D minimizes latency and maximizes single-threaded performance. Its respectable boost clock of 5.0GHz also plays a significant role in its superb performance in lightly-threaded applications.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a rather average performer in terms of thermals and does not raise any significant red flags. AMD labels the TDP as 120W for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which necessitates the use of a high-quality air cooler or 240mm AiO for regular operation. AMD does not allow an unlocked multiplier on its 3D V-Cache processors, and the same holds true for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Here’s how I summarized the 7800X3D in its dedicated review after hours of testing:

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the best gaming processor of this generation, which not only delivers top-notch gaming performance but performs decently in rendering and productive workloads as well. Meanwhile, it’s also one of the most efficient processors out there with a TDP of less than 150W in boost mode.

Buy It If

✅You want the ultimate gaming performance: Featuring a 3D V-Cache design and tremendous gaming prowess, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D maximizes the performance of any modern GPU, including the Radeon RX 7700 XT.

✅You want a multi-purpose CPU: Thanks to its high core and thread count, along with impressive multi-core performance, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D can handle productivity tasks admirably as well.

Don't Buy It If

❌You have a limited budget: Even though its extremely impressive gaming performance justifies its price tag, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is certain to leave a dent in your wallet.

What Makes It The Best High-End CPU For RX 7700 XT?

Per our testing, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the absolute fastest gaming CPUs available at the time of writing, thanks to its superb Zen 4 architecture and 96MB of L3 cache. Consequently, it is the best high-end CPU for RX 7700 XT.

Performance: 10/10	Value: 7/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 8/10

Intel Core i5 13600K

Best Intel CPU For RX 7700 XT

i5-13600K Pictures From Our Review

1 of 3

Pros

High overclocking potential
Solid gaming performance
Versatile chipset support
Support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory

Cons

Slightly higher power draw
No included stock cooler

Check Price

Intel’s hold over the mid-range CPU market has strengthened over the past few years simply due to the superb gaming performance of its Core i5 CPUs. The Intel Core i5 13600K is another beneficiary of this trend, as it offers a total of 14 cores and 20 threads. With a high boost clock of 5.1 GHz on its 6 performance cores, the Core i5 13600K delivers admirable gaming performance at all resolutions with the RX 7700 XT. My sample of the Core i5 13600K managed to peak at 76C during an all-core Cinebench R23 stress test, while under a custom loop liquid cooling solution. A 360mm AiO cooler or a premium dual-tower air cooler is a wise choice to pair with the Core i5 13600K if you plan to overclock.

Bearing the special “K” suffix, the Core i5 13600K comes with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. After a bit of tinkering, I settled on a P-Core frequency of 5.6GHz with an E-Core frequency of 4.4GHz at 1.330V on the VCore. This resulted in a substantial increase in temperature and power draw, which were recorded at 81C and 192W, respectively. One must invest in an appropriate cooling solution before overclocking.

When Nauman Siddique, our CPU testing expert, got his hands on the i5-13600K, this is what he said:

The Intel Core i5-13600K stands out as the best value gaming CPU in the market. It delivers impressive gaming performance while also excelling in overall tasks, making it a compelling choice.

Buy It If

✅You want the ideal Intel CPU for RX 7700 XT: Despite being in the mid-range price category, the Core i5 13600K allows the Radeon RX 7700 XT to fully flex its muscles.

✅You want to overclock: The Core i5 13600K comes with an unlocked multiplier and a respectable power budget for noticeable overclocking results.

Don't Buy It If

❌You don’t have a high-end CPU cooler: With a relatively high power consumption, the Core i5 13600K requires an excellent CPU cooler for comfortable operation.

What Makes It The Best Intel CPU For RX 7700 XT?

Providing more than enough gaming performance for the Radeon RX 7700 XT while being affordable and overclocking-friendly, the Intel Core i5 13600K is the best Intel CPU for RX 7700 XT.

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 8/10

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

Best AMD CPU For RX 7700 XT

Ryzen 5 7600X Pictures

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Pros

Excellent gaming performance
Efficient power consumption
Unlocked multiplier
Solid value for money

Cons

Exclusive to DDR5 memory
Relatively pricey AM5 motherboards

Check Price

With 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 5.3 GHz, the mid-range AMD Ryzen 5 7600X proves to be a commendable gaming partner for the Radeon RX 7700 XT, thanks to its excellent overall gaming performance. Although AMD specifies a rated TDP of 105W for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, it proves to be quite an efficient performer in actual operation. In my testing with the Noctua NH-U12S, the Ryzen 5 7600X peaked at a comfortable 72C during gaming and a manageable 82C during an all-core stress test.

AMD’s advantage shines through once again as the Ryzen 5 7600X comes with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. In my testing, I managed to achieve an all-core overclock of 5.3GHz at 1.29V, which yielded noticeable performance improvements across the board. You may want to invest in a premium aftermarket cooler to handle the added thermal strain if you want to venture into manual overclocking.

Buy It If

✅You want the ideal AMD CPU for RX 7700 XT: Maximizing the potential performance of the Radeon RX 7700 XT at multiple resolutions, the Ryzen 5 7600X is the ideal AMD pairing for this GPU.

✅You don’t have a premium CPU cooler: With its efficient nature and manageable thermals, the Ryzen 5 7600X is easy to cool even with affordable CPU coolers.

Don't Buy It If

❌You don’t want to shift to DDR5 memory: Since the AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs are exclusive to DDR5 memory, you can’t use your current DDR4 memory kits with these CPUs.

What Makes It The Best AMD CPU For RX 7700 XT?

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X maximizes the gaming performance of the Radeon RX 7700 XT across multiple resolutions without going overboard on pricing, making it the best AMD CPU for RX 7700 XT.

More for Ryzen 5 7600X:

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 10/10

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

Best Overall Gaming CPU For RX 7700 XT

5800X3D Pictures

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Pros

Superb overall performance
Affordable AM4 motherboards
DDR4 memory support
Solid value proposition

Cons

No overclocking support
Relatively higher power draw

Check Price

With the bonus advantage of the amazing 3D V-Cache technology on top of the already amazing AMD Zen 3 architecture, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D delivers superb gaming performance across a multitude of modern titles. Featuring 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 4.5 GHz, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an exceptional performer in lightly threaded applications such as gaming, especially when paired with the Radeon RX 7700 XT.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D might seem like a demanding CPU if you judge it by its 105W TDP, but in fact, it is quite reasonable in its thermal output. My sample of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D peaked at around 79C during a multi-core stress test while under a Noctua NH-U12S CPU cooler. One of the key drawbacks of the AMD Ryzen X3D CPUs is the lack of an unlocked multiplier, restricting manual overclocking as a result. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D also falls victim to the same trend and cannot be overclocked as a result.

Buy It If

✅You want more affordable motherboards: The Ryzen 7 5800X3D provides superb gaming performance while being compatible with affordable AM4 motherboards, giving you the best of both worlds.

✅You want DDR4 compatibility: If you already have DDR4 memory lying around, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D will improve your value for money even further.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want a better future upgrade potential: Although the Ryzen 7 5800X3D itself is an excellent CPU choice, the AM4 platform has been retired as of the time of writing.

What Makes It The Best Overall Gaming CPU For RX 7700 XT?

With tremendous amounts of L3 cache to maximize its single-threaded performance, along with support for more affordable AM4 motherboards and DDR4 memory, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the best overall gaming CPU for RX 7700 XT.

More For Ryzen 7 5800X3D:

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 7/10

Intel Core i5 13400F

Best Budget CPU For RX 7700 XT

i5-13400F Pictures

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Pros

Respectable single-threaded performance
Very efficient design
Useable included cooler
Superb value proposition

Cons

No overclocking support
No integrated graphics

Check Price

Although the Core i5 13400F is aimed at the budget segment of the CPU market, it still punches way above its weight when it comes to gaming performance. With 10 cores and 16 threads under the hood, the Core i5 13400F delivers admirable gaming performance with the Radeon RX 7700 XT without producing any significant bottlenecks.

One of the key advantages of the Core i5 13400F is its comfortable thermal performance since the CPU is incredibly efficient by design. Intel claims a reasonable 65W TDP for the Core i5 13400F, which is why my sample peaked at around 59C in an all-core stress test and 51C during gaming while being cooled by a Noctua NH-U14S. Unfortunately, the Intel Core i5 13400F comes with a locked multiplier, which disables any manual overclocking by traditional means. You can try your hand at BCLK overclocking just like any other CPU, but that is a relatively risky method with minimal returns.

Buy It If

✅You want a value champion: Targeted at the entry-level desktop CPU market, the Core i5 13400F delivers great overall performance with the Radeon RX 7700 XT at a very reasonable price.

✅You want a useable stock cooler: While the included Intel stock cooler is not going to help you set any overclocking records, it is more than useable with the Core i5 13400F.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want to overclock: Since the Core i5 13400F has a locked multiplier, you cannot manually overclock this CPU by increasing the multiplier.

What Makes It The Best Budget CPU For RX 7700 XT?

At an entry-level price point, the Intel Core i5 13400F provides sufficient gaming performance and avoids any bottlenecks when paired with the Radeon RX 7700 XT, making it the best budget CPU for RX 7700 XT.

Best Budget CPUs

Performance: 8/10	Value: 10/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 10/10

AMD Ryzen 5 5600

Best Value CPU For RX 7700 XT

Ryzen 5 5600 Pictures

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Pros

Impressive value for money
Decent gaming performance
Inexpensive AM4 motherboards
Efficient power draw

Cons

Platform limitation
Exclusive to DDR4 memory

Check Price

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is one of the finest options in the budget segment, thanks to its respectable gaming performance when paired with the Radeon RX 7700 XT. Featuring 6 cores and 12 threads boosting up to 4.4 GHz, the single-threaded performance of the Ryzen 5 5600 is admirable for the price point. As is expected from Ryzen 5 CPUs from the Zen 3 lineup, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is supremely efficient in its operation with a comfortable thermal output. My sample of the Ryzen 5 5600 peaked at around 52C during an all-core stress test. This result gives us an idea of the excellent thermal management of this CPU.

Despite being a budget CPU, the Ryzen 5 5600 comes with an unlocked multiplier for manual overclocking, which is a distinct advantage of AMD CPUs. After some experimentation, I settled on an all-core overclock of 4.6GHz at 1.35V on the VCore, which yielded a noticeable improvement in the gaming results of the CPU. It is nice to have the option of overclocking on a budget CPU to squeeze more performance out of your purchase.

Buy It If

✅You want to maximize your bang for the buck: Delivering respectable gaming performance with the Radeon RX 7700 XT at a very affordable price point, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is the ultimate bargain buy.

✅You want affordable motherboards: The AMD AM4 platform is getting on in years, so the motherboards are resultantly getting cheaper and more accessible.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want a better upgrade path: Even though the AM4 platform is quite modern with support for many high-end CPUs, it has been replaced and has a limited upgrade path.

What Makes It The Best Value CPU For RX 7700 XT?

Since the Ryzen 5 5600 provides acceptable performance for the Radeon RX 7700 XT, along with being affordable and compatible with inexpensive motherboards and memory, it is the best value CPU for RX 7700 XT.

These components work well with the Ryzen 5 5600:

Performance: 7/10	Value: 10/10
Features: 7/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Our Tested Benchmarks

We also tested all of these processors to make sure that our recommendations are backed by real-world performance.

Test Results

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Important CPU Key Terms

When in the market for a new CPU, it is easy to get confused by marketing jargon. Here are some key terms to remember.

CPU (Central Processing Unit): The primary hardware component of a computer responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations for all software applications.
Clock Speed: The rate at which a CPU processes instructions, measured in gigahertz (GHz), indicating how many cycles it can complete per second.
Core: A processing unit within a CPU that can independently execute instructions, with modern CPUs having multiple cores for improved performance.
Cache Memory: High-speed, on-chip memory that stores frequently used data and instructions to reduce the CPU’s access time to this information, enhancing overall performance.
Overclocking: The practice of increasing a CPU’s clock speed beyond its manufacturer’s specifications to achieve higher performance, often at the risk of stability and overheating.
Hyper-Threading: A technology that allows a single CPU core to handle multiple threads simultaneously, improving multitasking performance by simulating additional cores.
Thermal Design Power (TDP): A measure of the maximum amount of heat a CPU is expected to generate under typical workloads, used for selecting appropriate cooling solutions.

How We Picked The Best CPU For RX 7700 XT

Choosing the best CPU for the Radeon RX 7700 XT can be tricky business, as one has to strike the perfect balance between price and performance to maximize the value aspect. Even experienced PC builders can get stumped in this process, so here are some key factors to keep in mind when picking the ideal CPU for RX 7700 XT.

Performance: Assess benchmarks for real-world gaming scenarios at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K to ensure a balanced CPU-GPU synergy. It’s imperative to avoid CPU bottlenecks, meaning the CPU should be powerful enough to keep pace with the RX 7700 XT’s capabilities, ensuring a smooth and lag-free gaming experience.
Overclocking Support: Look for CPUs with unlocked multipliers, as they enable support for manual overclocking. Examine overclocking results from reputable sources to gauge the CPU’s potential performance gains. Additionally, consider the thermal management and power consumption of an overclocked CPU to ensure system stability and longevity while pushing for higher clock speeds.
Power Draw: Pay attention to the CPU’s power consumption under load, as this can affect your system’s overall energy efficiency. Take into account the Thermal Design Power (TDP) rating as a guideline for heat dissipation and general efficiency. Evaluating the resulting temperatures and the type of cooling solution required is crucial to maintaining a stable and reliable system.
Future Upgrades: In today’s technology landscape, CPU platforms, often referred to as chipsets, typically have a limited ability to support only one or two generations of a specific CPU before becoming obsolete. Consequently, this may necessitate a motherboard replacement when upgrading in the future.
Price and Value: Take into account your budget and compare the CPU’s performance relative to its cost. It’s essential to strike a balance between performance and price to ensure you’re getting the best value for your specific gaming needs. Consider factors like platform support, performance levels, and long-term usability to make an informed decision.

Recent Updates

July 10, 2024: Added gaming benchmarks, average power consumption, and Cinebench scores of the processors from our test results.

FAQs

What PSU is recommended for RX 7700 XT?

AMD recommends a 700W PSU for the Radeon RX 7700 XT, although this can vary depending on the aftermarket variant that you buy. The advertised typical board power (TBP) of the RX 7700 XT is 245W.

Will a Ryzen 7 5800X bottleneck a RX 7700 XT?

No, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X does not cause any significant bottlenecks with the Radeon RX 7700 XT. The Ryzen 7 5800X is still a very solid gaming CPU with admirable results when paired with the RX 7700 XT, especially at 1440p and 4K.

Can the RX 7700 XT run 4K?

Of course, the Radeon RX 7700 XT can run some games at playable framerates at 4K, but it is not exactly a 4K graphics card. It is targeted more towards 1440p gaming, which is where it excels even in modern games.

What is the resolution of the RX 7700 XT?

Technically, the Radeon RX 7700 XT supports a maximum display resolution of 8K (7680×4320), even though it is unrealistic to expect the GPU to handle games at that resolution. For gaming, the Radeon RX 7700 XT targets 1440p and high-refresh-rate 1080p resolutions.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

6 Best CPUs For RX 7700 XT In 2024 [Tested With Benchmarks] is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Review: Impressive Efficiency, Unimpressive Gains

Dr. Usman Saleem — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 06:06:40 +0000

After testing the Ryzen 5 9600X, it’s time for me to look at the next available Zen 5 chip: the Ryzen 7 9700X. In terms of price and power target cuts, it follows the same pattern as the Ryzen 5 9600X. Does it show the same performance differences as the 9600X, though? Let’s find out.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

Key Takeaways

The Ryzen 7 9700X is ideal if you want top-class single-core performance and power efficiency and/or heavily use AVX-512 instructions. You should also get it if you’re willing to play with its power limits to unlock its full potential.
Don’t get the Ryzen 7 9700X if you want the best multi-core performance or value out of your money (especially for gaming) or if you expect an included stock cooler.
The Ryzen 7 9700X is AMD’s exceptionally power-efficient mid-to-high ranger. It shows decent performance gains in some tasks but fails to impress in most workloads.

Let’s look at the specifications and how they compare to its competitors.

Product	Ryzen 7 9700X	Core i7-14700K	Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Manufacturer	AMD	Intel	AMD
Processing node	TSMC 4nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	Intel 7 (10nm)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)
No. of cores	8	20 (8P, 12E)	8
No. of threads	16	28	16
Base frequencies	3.8 GHz	3.4 GHz (P-cores), 2.5 GHz (E-cores)	4.2 GHz
Max. turbo frequencies	5.5 GHz	5.5 GHz (P-cores), 4.3 GHz (E-cores)	5 GHz
L1 cache	640 KB	640 KB (P-cores), 1152 KB (E-cores)	512 KB
L2 cache	8 MB	28	8 MB
L3 cache	32 MB	33 MB	96 MB
iGPU	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	Intel® UHD Graphics 770 (32 EUs)	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)
Base power	65W	125W	120W
Max. turbo power	–	253W	–
MSRP ($)	$359	$381	$366

[toc]

Notably, the Ryzen 7 9700X received a $40 lower price tag than its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 7700X. In this price segment, it competes with Intel’s Core i7-13700K, Core i7-14700K, and AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Ryzen 9 7900X chips.

Looking to build a Ryzen 7 9700X system? Our guides may come in handy:

What’s New?

I discussed the major Zen 5 and platform-related changes in detail in our Ryzen 5 9600X review, so I’ll keep it short here.

Processing Node

The Zen 5 cores are based on TSMC’s new 4nm FinFET process, a step up over the 5nm process of the last gen. Each chip packs 8.31b transistors, compared to the 6.57b of Zen 4. However, the I/O die uses the 6nm TSMC node as before.

Zen 5 Architecture

With the new Zen 5 architecture, AMD has improved all aspects of the chips, namely the front end, execution window, and back end.

Front-end: AMD has improved branch prediction (accuracy and latency), enhanced the instruction cache bandwidth, and added dual decode pipes to allow more instructions to be fetched from memory simultaneously.
Dispatch and execute: We have a wider dispatch/retire queue (8-wide vs. 6-wide) to accommodate more instructions, a more unified ALU scheduler to issue instructions more efficiently to execution units, and a larger overall execution window.
AVX-512 support: The floating-point unit (FPU) now features a full 512-bit data path for AVX-512 instead of the double-pumped 256-bit path of Zen 4.
Load-store unit: The load-store unit features increased L1 cache capacity and bandwidth, a 12-way path, and improved data prefetching for quicker instruction fetching.

Reduced Power Targets and Clock Speeds

More shocking than the Ryzen 5 9600X’s TDP being cut to 65W is the 9700X’s to that same point. With the 65W TDP, the 9700X also has reduced base clock speeds (3.8 GHz vs 4.5 GHz). This essentially makes it the Ryzen 7 7700 (non-X) successor, as it also had a 65W rating and a base frequency of 3.8 GHz.

With these changes combined with the new Zen 5 architecture, AMD promises 15% better thermal resistance. The CPUs will also run a 7°C cooler at the same TDP.

New Chipsets

AMD is set to release 4 new chipsets as part of the 800-series lineup to support the Ryzen 9000 chips, but of course, the 600 series motherboards support them just fine.

AMD’s 800 series chipsets (Image Credits: AMD)

The four chipsets are X870E, X870, B850, and B840. USB 4 are mandatory in both X870 and X870E chipsets, which is also the key difference between X870 and B650E.

Overclocking Enhancements

AMD’s new AGESA firmware will support DDR5-8000 memory, and JEDEC DDR5-5600 memory is supported out of the box. We also get better-optimized performance profiles and support for on-the-fly memory overclocking.

AMD has introduced a new Curve Shaper feature for CPU overclocking. This feature adds to the Curve Optimizer functionality by allowing users to optimize voltage across 15 different frequency-temperature bands.

Unboxing and Design

The CPU uses the same box and design as the Ryzen 7000 series chips.

Test Bench

Let’s move on to testing. Here’s our current test bench for that:

CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
Storage for OS: Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD
Storage for Software: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Storage for Games: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Power Supply: Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

Ryzen 7 9700X installed

Here’s the CPU-Z screenshot for the Ryzen 7 9700X.

Ryzen 7 9700X CPU-Z

Testing Methodology

Used default Auto and Stock settings for all tests.
Disabled any default performance boost options in the BIOS.
Loaded EXPO and manually adjusted DRAM timings and voltage for each test.
Left all other voltages on Auto.
Ran the cooling system’s pump and fans at full speed (100%) during testing.
Kept the graphics card at its stock settings.
Updated the motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version.
Used Nvidia driver 517.48.
Monitored all sensors with HWinfo64

General Benchmarks

First, a look at our general tests.

General benchmarks

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Overall, the Ryzen 7 9700X had a terrible outing in our general benchmarks, beaten by the Ryzen 7 7700X in every test.

Rendering Benchmarks

Let’s move on to the rendering benchmarks.

Rendering benchmarks

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The Ryzen 7 9700X comfortably stood on top in single-threaded performance based on our rendering benchmarks. However, the multi-threaded performance hasn’t substantially improved (except in Geekbench 5). It also fell behind Intel’s trio of the 13600K, 13700K, and 14700KF chips in all multi-threaded tests, but that’s expected given the difference in core counts.

Gaming Benchmarks

How did the 9700X perform in gaming? Well, great, but not comparatively so.

1080P gaming comparison (Image by Tech4Gamers)

It only managed a 2% increase in performance over the last generation. As I noted in my testing, the problem clearly consists of power and clock speed constraints.

Thermals and Power Consumption

Lastly, we will look at how the CPU performed regarding power consumption.

Thermals and power consumption (Image by Tech4Gamers)

Stellar numbers from both Zen 5 CPUs in our list! Both 65W CPUs consumed under 90 watts on average, with the 9700X at 89 watts. Moreover, the Ryzen 7 9700X actually ran 4°C cooler than the 9600X, which shows its incredible efficiency. When you compare to the last generation’s 7700X, these numbers become even more impressive given that the 9700X was ahead in all but our general benchmarks, which only test specific capabilities of the chip.

At 57°C under load, I wonder how much better the CPU could have done at a 105-watt power target. There is plenty of thermal headroom here, with the CPU’s Tjmax at 95°C. Thus, a higher TDP and clock speeds out of the box would have helped the CPU, especially in our gaming benchmarks. If you ask me, AMD missed an opportunity here, especially since AMD was already well ahead of Intel regarding power efficiency in their gaming chips.

Is The Price Ideal?

Just like with the Ryzen 5 9600X, I can’t say the CPU’s $359 price tag is ideal, even though it is $40 less than the Ryzen 7 7700X at launch. This is an 11% difference, while the CPU only showed an 11% (or more) uplift in none but two tests. It was beaten in all our general benchmarks and only took a 2% lead in 1080P gaming performance.

Let’s also not forget Intel’s 13600K, 13700K, and 14700K CPUs, all of which are significantly cheaper and perform better in most workloads. The only trade-off with them is their power consumption, of course.

Should You Buy It?

To be or not to be?

Buy It If:

✅Power and thermal efficiency is important: For the performance you get, the Ryzen 7 9700X runs unbelievably cool and consumes very little power, even under full loads.

✅Your workloads are mostly single-threaded: While it performs quite well in multi-threaded workloads, too, it really takes the crown in single-threaded performance.

✅You need AVX-512 support: With Zen 5, AMD has added a 512-bit pipeline for AVX-512 workloads.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌You’re looking for a pure gaming CPU: For gaming, the 7800X3D from AMD is still the king and comes with a cheaper price tag than the 9700X.

❌You have no budget for aftermarket cooling: The CPU does not come with a cooler, which I couldn’t make sense of, considering AMD has always provided them with 65W chips.

❌You need top multi-core power: For multi-threaded workloads, Intel’s Raptor Lake unlocked i5s and i7s will serve you much better at cheaper or similar price points.

My Thoughts

The Ryzen 7 9700X had potential—no, it has potential, in fact—but it is highly limited by its power limitations. These limitations make it amazingly power-efficient, of course, but they also mean it couldn’t show enough gains in most tasks to really justify the purchase. This also meant that it fell behind its predecessor in some of our benchmarks.

AMD did not need to limit the CPU to 105 watts, especially since it puts it in the same category as the 6C/12T 9600X. They were also already ahead of Intel in power efficiency, anyway. The 7700X, for example, consumed 136 watts in our Cinebench R23 test, which is much less than competing CPUs like the 13600K.

In terms of price, the $40 price cut compared to its predecessor doesn’t help much either; the R7 7700X costs around $294 now, while it’s only beaten by 12% in the best-case scenario in our tests. Intel’s 13700K is also far better (cheaper, better gaming, and multi-core performance), while the 14700K takes multi-core performance even further ahead for $381.

At the time of writing, I would only recommend the 9700X to those coming from an older generation and who are primarily after solid single-core performance with exceptional efficiency. Of course, everything changes if you know your way around overclocking, removing the power limits and really letting this chip breathe can give it significant performance gains. Who knows? Maybe AMD will release a patch to increase the power limits by default.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Review: Impressive Efficiency, Unimpressive Gains is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Ryzen 5 9600X Review: It’s Just A Refresh

Dr. Usman Saleem — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 06:11:42 +0000

AMD’s new mid-range CPU, the Ryzen 5 9600X, is here. Code-named Granite Ridge, the 9600X launched along with the Ryzen 7 9700X, which serves as the new mid-to-high range option. The two CPUs have received modest price cuts compared to their predecessors, with the chip in focus today coming in at $279 compared to $299 of the 7600X at launch.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

[toc]

These CPUs, based on the new Zen 5 architecture, have various underlying changes compared to Zen 4, which we’ll get into shortly. For now, let’s start with the key specifications:

Key Takeaways

The Ryzen 5 9600X is ideal for you if you’re seeking AVX-512 support, the best single-core performance, and excellent power and thermal efficiency.
Look elsewhere if you need better value for gaming (13600K and 7600X, for example), your workloads are primarily multi-core dependent, or if you expect a stock cooler with this CPU.
All-in-all, the Ryzen 5 9600X is class-leading in single-core performance, and while multi-core performance is good, it trails similarly priced Intel CPUs and the Ryzen 7 7700X. Its gaming performance shows little-to-no performance improvement over the previous gen, but thermal and power efficiency are great.

See how the Ryzen 5 9600X compares to similarly-priced chips.

Product	Ryzen 5 9600X	Ryzen 7 7700X	Core i5-14600K
Manufacturer	AMD	AMD	Intel
Processing node	TSMC 4nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	Intel 7 (10nm)
No. of cores	6	8	14 (6P, 8E)
No. of threads	12	16	20
Base frequencies	3.9 GHz	4.5 GHz	3.5 GHz (P-cores), 2.6 GHz (E-cores)
Max. turbo frequencies	5.4 GHz	5.4 GHz	5.3 GHz (P-cores), 4 GHz (E-cores)
L1 cache	480 KB	512 KB	480 KB (P-cores), 768 MB (E-cores)
L2 cache	6 MB	8 MB	20 MB
L3 cache	32 MB	32 MB	24 MB
iGPU	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	AMD Radeon™ Graphics (2 cores)	Intel® UHD Graphics 770 (32 EUs)
Base power	65W	105W	125W
Max. turbo power	–	–	181W
MSRP ($)	279	294	299

Based on our extensive testing, we have recommended the best motherboards and CPU coolers for the CPU.

Microarchitectural Changes

The Ryzen 5 9600X has one core compute die (CCD) with two cores disabled, just like its predecessor.

New Processing Node: With Zen 5, AMD has moved to TSMC’s 4nm FinFET node, meaning 8.31b transistors compared to 6.57b of its predecessor, the Ryzen 5 7600X. The I/O die uses the same 6nm node from TSMC.
Front-End: AMD has made improvements to the branch prediction, including reduced latency. This means the pipeline will more accurately predict the right path to take and do it faster, so instructions will be executed quickly. Particularly, we have much larger L1 and L2 BTB, a larger return address stack (52 vs 32 entries), and 3 prediction windows/cycle compared to Zen 4’s 2.
Dispatch And Execute: The 8-wide dispatch, compared to the 6-wide of Zen 4, will allow a higher amount of instructions coming from the front end to be executed. With 6 ALUs (including 3 multipliers), we have a more unified ALU scheduler, where micro-operations remain until they are ready to be executed.
Floating Point Units: AMD has opted for a full 512-bit data path for AVX-512 instructions instead of double-pumping a 256-bit pipeline as in Zen 4. The pipeline shows no frequency impact for using AVX-512 instructions, and the efficiency has improved.
Load-Store Unit: Enhancements include a bump in the L1 data cache to 48 KB 12-way from 32 KB 8-way, and despite this growth, it supports 4 loads/2 stores per cycle, compared to 3 loads/1 store of Zen 4!

There’s More In Store!

Here are some other major changes to the platform:

Reduced Power Targets And Clock Speeds

Notably, all the Ryzen 9000 we know of so far (except the 9950X) have lower power targets than their predecessors. The 9600X, in particular, is now rated at 65W compared to its predecessor’s 7600X’s 105 watts. What’s more, we have a significant reduction in base clock speeds, with the 9600X down to 3.9 GHz. It seems almost like a rebranding from AMD, as these specifications are more in line with the non-X Ryzen 5 7600 from Zen 4, but that’s where we are at the moment.

AMD also claimed a 15% “thermal resistance improvement” over Zen 4, saying that you can expect your CPU to run 7°C at the same TDP compared to a last-generation chip. We’ll test this later on.

New Motherboards (Soon?)

We’ve got new motherboards! Well, not yet, and despite the release of two Ryzen 9000 chips, AMD has not confirmed a date for the release of these motherboards.

AMD’s 800 series chipset (Image Credits: AMD)

Notably and confusingly, we have a new B840 chipset, which is essentially a rebranded A620 (note that there’s no CPU overclocking support). There is no B850 Extreme this time around, either. The competition column, I presume, refers to price segments compared to the mentioned chipsets, in which case, it’s hard to understand why both B850 and B840 would compete with Intel’s B760 (whose motherboards typically range from $100-$200).

As for the major changes, USB4 is mandatory for both X870 and X870E, and X870 now retains PCIe x16 for the GPU slot. However, with fewer downstream Gen 4 general purpose lanes, it resembles more closely to B650E. B850 supports Gen 5 for NVMe, similar to B650, but this can be reconfigured for the GPU x16 slot instead, too.

Memory Overclocking And Curve Shaper

The new chipsets will feature the latest AGESA firmware, allowing support for up to DDR5-8000 and on-the-fly memory overclocking. There will also be support for JEDEC DDR5-5600 memory.

Also, coming from the Ryzen 9000 series, a feature that I’m really excited to see is the Curve Shaper. It’s similar to the Curve Optimizer but gives you more control because you have 15 different frequency-temperature bands to add or remove. Users can further reduce voltage for stable bands and increase voltage for unstable ones, improving overall efficiency.

The curve shaper can be applied to all cores or individual cores, too, just like for curve optimizer.

Design and Unboxing

The Ryzen 5 9600X shares the same design up front that was introduced with the Ryzen 7000 series.

We have the SKU model and some information related to the chip printed below it.

Test Bench

On to testing now, my favorite part! Here’s my test bench for that:

CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
Storage for OS: Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD
Storage for Software: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Storage for Games: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Power Supply: Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

Ryzen 5 9600X CPU-Z

Above is the CPU-Z screenshot for our chip.

Testing Methodology

I ran each test using the default Auto and Stock settings.
Turned off any default performance boost options in the BIOS.
Loaded EXPO for every test and manually set the DRAM timings and voltage.
Left all other voltages on Auto.
Set the cooling solution’s pump and fans to run at full speed (100%) during testing.
I kept the graphics card in its stock settings.
Updated the motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version.
Used Nvidia driver 517.48.
Monitored all sensors with HWinfo64.

General Tests

Here’s how the CPU performed in our general benchmarks.

General benchmarks Ryzen 5 9600X

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Out of the 3 tests, the 9600X only did well in our wPrime 1024m test.

Render Tests

Let’s move on to our rendering benchmarks.

Rendering benchmarks Ryzen 5 9600X

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Summing up, the 9600X performed excellently in single-core benchmarks, but the multi-core performance is not as good.

Gaming Benchmarks

Finally, a look at the gaming benchmarks!

1080P gaming comparison (Image by Tech4Gamers)

The Ryzen 5 9600X showed great single-core performance numbers, but multi-core performance hasn’t shown a great difference over the last generation Ryzen 5 7600X. So, despite its single-core dominance, it failed to take a significant lead over the 7600X in every title I tested. The overall difference is less than 1%. This has to do with its power constraints consumption, too, surely.

Thermals and Power

Finally, here’s a look at the temperature and power consumption figures. As always, we used Cinebench R23’s multi-core test to generate the load.

Power consumption and thermals (Image by Tech4Gamers)

The Ryzen 5 9600X really shines here, and so does its big brother. It consumed only 87 watts on average under full utilization, putting it 36.7% ahead of its predecessor in terms of power consumption. At the same time, our Deepcool Mystique kept it under 62°C, miles more efficient than 7600X.

Thermal efficiency is amazing. Our 9600X ran a massive 21°C cooler (a 34.4% difference) than the 7700X, for example, which only beats its multi-core score by 21%.

The reduced power targets can be seen here, but it also tells you that there was enough room for AMD to keep the same 105W TDP rating of its predecessor and, at the same time, aim for the same (if not slightly higher) base clock speeds. That, combined with all the architectural leaps they have made with AM5, would have paid dividends in terms of performance.

Instead, where we are at the moment is great power efficiency and fair enough improvements in multi-core and single-core loads, but gaming performance has shown little to no improvement.

The Pricing Dilemma

Priced at $279, the Ryzen 5 9600X received a $20 lower price tag than its predecessor, but given that the 7600X now costs $198, it offers far better value, at least for gaming. The higher price tag doesn’t justify the power efficiency, which is what is limiting the processor anyway. Therefore, I can’t really say AMD has done us any favours by knocking $20 off the price tag.

Let’s also not forget: the Core i5-13600K is $50 cheaper than the 9600X and manages to outperform it in our 1080P gaming charts.

Should You Buy It?

The final question looms…

Buy It If:

✅You’re looking for excellent power and thermal efficiency: The Ryzen 5 9600X outperforms its predecessor while drawing less power and, thus, running far cooler.

✅You need the best single-core performance: For single-threaded workloads, the Ryzen 5 9600X is a powerhouse, beaten only by the 9700X in our testing.

✅AVX-512 support is important: With a full 512-bit data path, you have full AVX-512 support with the 9600X.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌Your sole workload is gaming: For gaming, CPUs like the Core i5-13600K and AMD’s own Ryzen 5 7600X offer better value, as there is almost no performance gain in 1080P (high preset) gaming with the 9600X over the last generation.

❌Multi-core performance is a priority: While the multi-core performance has improved over the last generation, the 9600X and its other AMD brothers still trail Intel significantly in this field.

❌You’re expecting an included stock cooler: Despite its 65-watt rating, there’s no stock cooler to be found inside the Ryzen 5 9600X box.

My Thoughts

AM5 looked exciting, but testing the Ryzen 5 9600X turned out to be an underwhelming experience. With a full-fledged Zen 5 architecture, cores running on TSMC’s 4nm FinFET node, and a 16% IPC improvement promise from AMD, it seemed like the Ryzen 9000 series would take the market by storm. However, I can’t find it in me to recommend the CPU unless your workloads are primarily single-threaded (which they are probably not).

The power efficiency and thermal performance of the CPU is great. Even though you don’t get a cooler with the package, a fairly inexpensive air cooler will do the job just fine, as the cooler consumed less than 90 watts under our load testing.

While there are decent gains in multi-core performance over the previous generation, the 9600X simply can’t compete with similarly-priced CPUs with higher core counts. Even Intel’s modestly priced 13600K is far better for multi-threaded workloads than our AM5 CPU. The same goes for the Ryzen 7 7700X, which is only about $15 costlier than the 9600X.

Gaming performance at 1080P high preset was a complete let-down, and without hesitation, I’ll recommend you to look for other options if you want a CPU for gaming. The 7600X is a good one as its far cheaper than the 9600X while performing nearly the same.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

Ryzen 5 9600X Review: It’s Just A Refresh is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Review: More Cache & Unparalleled Performance

Dr. Usman Saleem — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 00:52:48 +0000

Today, I am bringing you AMD’s gaming crown jewel, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D review. It is one of the most efficient processors in the current CPU hierarchy, with a low TDP. Based on the newer Zen 4 architecture and coming with the 3D Vertical Cache technology, AMD has truly outdone itself with this gaming behemoth. The processor outperforms Intel’s fastest gaming products. It even outperforms AMD’s flagship, the 7950X, in gaming loads.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and motherboards for a spin.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

Key Takeaways

Packed with 96MB of L3 Cache, the 7800X3D is an 8-core CPU with 16 cores and a boost clock speed of 5.0 GHz.
The Ryzen 7800X3D is the best gaming processor of this generation, and it beats the competition quite comfortably.
Better options are available if you have frequent productivity and rendering loads.

Here are the Processor specs:

Product	Ryzen 7 7800X3D	Core i7-13700K	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 7 7700X
Manufacturer	AMD	Intel	Intel	AMD
Processing node	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)
No. of cores	8	16 (8P, 8E)	14 (6P, 8E)	8
No. of threads	16	24	20	16
Base frequencies	4.2 GHz	3.4 GHz (P-core), 2.5 GHz (E-core)	5.1 GHz (P-core), 3.9 GHz (E-core)	4.5 GHz
Max turbo frequencies	5.0 GHz	5.4 GHz (P-core), 4.2 GHz (E-core)	5.1 GHz (P-core), 3.9 GHz (E-core)	5.4 GHz
L2 Cache	28 MB	24 MB	20 MB	8 MB
L3 Cache	96 MB	30 MB	24 MB	32 MB
iGPU	No	Yes	Yes	No
Base Power	120W	125W	125W	105W
Max. Turbo Power	253W	253W	181W	–
MSRP	$384	$409	$319	$399

[toc]

We have also tested the 7800X3D on various components to round up the best options for it:

What’s New?

Let’s look into what updates AMD is giving with its 7000X3D processors over its previous 5000 series.

3D V-Cache technology

The 3D V-Cache has a memory of 64 MB and it is an additional piece of silicon that is added on the Zen 4 CCD. The CCD has an on-die 32 MB L3 cache, that combines with the 3D V-cache that the OS and software perceive as a single 96 MB L3 cache. The performance uplifts come from the whole cache operating at the same speed as the on-die L3 Cache.

AM5 Socket

AMD continues to deliver better IPC and overall performance with the newer generation of Zen. This time with the Zen 4 platform, AMD has come up with the AM5 socket, which enables DDR5, and the PCI-Express Gen 5 lane, allowing for more data bandwidth.

AM5 Socket (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Furthermore, power delivery improvements have also been made. The AM5 socket can deliver up to 230W of power, which will allow AMD to increase CPU core counts in the upcoming generations.

AMD EXPO Memory

As the AM5 socket allows DDR5 RAM. AMD is introducing its version of Memory Overclocking, the AMD EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking), just like Intel’s XMP. To toggle the EXPO setting, you only need to go to your Motherboard’s BIOS setting and turn it on. Unlike Intel’s XMP, the EXPO is an open standard. It is also fine-tuned to run with AMD architecture as it contains settings unique to AMD products.

Even if you don’t find EXPO RAMs in the market, although they’re readily available, you can run XMP RAMs with EXPO. But not the other way around, as XMP isn’t an open standard.

Newer Motherboards

Due to the new AM5 socket, the previous-gen mobo sockets have become obsolete. Nonetheless, AMD has rolled out the X670E, B650E, and A620 Chipsets, which allow for faster DDR5 RAM, and the newer PCIe Gen 5.

You can utilize the X670E and X670 with the flagship processors. The B650E and B650 have mid-range processors, and you can use the A620 with entry-level processors.

Design

As you can see, the IHS has some information about the CPU alongside big AMD Ryzen branding.

Test Bench

Here’s what my test bench for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D looks like:

CPU Cooler: DeepCool Mystique 360
Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
Storage for OS: Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD
Storage for Software: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Storage for Games: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD
Power Supply: Fractal Design ION+ 2P 860W Platinum
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Installed (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Here is the CPU-Z screenshot of our build:

CPU-Z Screenshot (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Testing Methodology

I ran each test using the default Auto and Stock settings.
Turned off any default performance boost options in the BIOS.
Loaded EXPO for every test and manually set the DRAM timings and voltage.
Left all other voltages on Auto.
Set the cooling solution’s pump and fans to run at full speed (100%) during testing.
Kept the graphics card at its stock settings.
Updated the motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version.
Used Nvidia driver 517.48.
Monitored all sensors with HWinfo64.

Test Results

General Benchmarks

Let’s see what picture the benchmarks show us, starting with 3DMARK CPU Profile, 7-Zip, AIDA64, and wPrime test results.

General Benchmarks

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Render Tests

Rendering Tests

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The processor performs decently in all CPU benchmarks that we performed, making it a well-rounded Processor capable of performing well in various use cases.

Transcoding Benchmarks

Let’s look at the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and its capabilities in encoding and decoding scenarios.

X265 Benchmark (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Gaming Benchmark

Let’s see how the Ryzen 7 7800X3D performs in gaming at 1080p.

Ryzen 7 7800X3D Average Gaming Performance (Image By Tech4Gamers)

This is why the 7800X3D takes the title of the best Gaming CPU of this generation!

CPU Frequencies

Let’s see the Ryzen 7 7800X3D Core clock speed. According to AMD claims, the processor can reach 5.0 GHz on all cores.

Clock speeds during Gaming (Image by Tech4Gamers)

While the CPU didn’t hit 5 GHz on all cores, but it did that clock speed on multiple cores. So the claim does hold some value, and the CPU can hit an all-core 5 GHz clock speed at times. Kudos to AMD for authentic publicity!

Power Consumption And Thermals

Moving on, let’s see how the CPU performs in terms of thermals and power.

Idle system stats (Image by Tech4Gamers)

Here are the system’s idle statistics on HWinfo64. The minimum core temperature hit 26.6°C, while the CPU ran slightly on the hotter side reaching 43°C at the least. Meanwhile, the minimum power drawn by the CPU was 20.4 watts.

Cinebench R23 single-core and multi-core test power consumption

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At the default configuration, we scored 17589 points on the multi-core benchmark and 1775 points on the single-core benchmark. The CPU package’s maximum temperature was 81°C, and the core’s temperature was 79°C during the test.

The processor is quite efficient, and unlike the Intel Core-i7 14700KF, which has a power consumption of 250W+, it just shows that during the test, the power consumption is less than 87W. This speaks volumes about the capabilities of the newer Zen 4 architecture. Furthermore, it showcases that AMD’s Engineering division is on the right track.

Should You Buy It?

Buy It If

✅ Your workload is gaming-based or a rendering/gaming mix: The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a gaming Behemoth, and due to its 3D-V Cache technology, it has become the best Gaming GPU of this generation by a long shot.

✅ You want solid all-round performance: It performs decently in rendering loads, too, making it a well-rounded option for many PC builders out there.

✅ The power consumption is great: While being the top gaming processor out there, it is one of the most efficient ones as well.

Don’t Buy It If

❌ You want top-of-the-line multi-core performance: For multi-core scenarios, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D falls a bit short. You can opt for the 7900X3D and the 7950X3D or the non-3D variants. They give great performances for more bucks, though.

My Thoughts

After testing out this Gaming beast, I can safely say that AMD is on the right track. They’re making high-performing CPUs that give you top-of-the-line performance while keeping the temps and power consumption down.

The only downside to this processor is that it doesn’t perform as well in multi-core workloads as it does in gaming. So if you are a content creator or run productive loads frequently, this processor isn’t for you. However, if you are a PC gamer who wants the max FPS out there then there aren’t many better options out there than this guy.

While the processor came out a year ago, it has been destroying the competition. Even the top of the line from AMD the 7950X gets beaten soundly in many games. Meanwhile, Intel is just playing catch up and AMD is just stealing their high-end gaming lunch money at this point.

Another one of its standing out points is its power consumption. While rated at 120W, the processor hardly crosses the 90W mark in benchmarking loads as seen above. Nonetheless, you should opt for a 240mm AIO at least of a capable air cooler like our favorite (the Noctua NH-U12A).

With the release of the Ryzen 9000 series processor around the corner, there has been a big drop in the price of the 7800X3D. You can find the processor for $394 on Amazon, and until the newer gen of processors’ release date comes, it sits firmly atop the gaming hill. If you want the best gaming CPU right now, then this is the product for you!

Awards Received By The Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Given its unmatched gaming performance, the 7800X3D has been given several Tech4Gamers’ Awards over time:

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Review: More Cache & Unparalleled Performance is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Core i7-14700KF Review: Worthy Upgrade or Overpriced Refresh?

Sameed Hussain — Sat, 04 May 2024 12:26:44 +0000

Today, I’ll test the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which is basically Core i7-14700K without integrated graphics. There are no significant architectural changes over the last gen, as these CPUs are merely a refresh of the 13th generation – but we’ll have a brief look at what’s different. It also shares the same launch MSRP as its predecessor, the Core i7-13700KF.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Sameed Hussain is our hardware expert and reviews editor who has been testing graphics cards, processors, and motherboards for years.
50+ CPUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
800+ hours spent testing different processors for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test processors).

Key Takeaways

The Core i7-14700KF is an excellent CPU for those looking to upgrade from an older platform, providing better (namely multi-core) performance than the Core i7-13700K(F) at the same launch MSRP.
It’s not ideal for those concerned about power consumption or those who don’t want to spend a decent sum on a cooler. Also, if you want a pure gaming CPU, it offers lackluster value.
With an increased E-core count over the last generation and slightly improved boost clock speeds, the Core i7-14700KF is perhaps the only CPU from the Raptor Lake Refresh that you should choose over its predecessor, but only if your workloads require good multi-core performance (rendering-based workloads).

[toc]

Let’s first view the specifications.

Product	Core i7-14700K	Core i7-13700K	Core i5-13600K	Ryzen 7 7700X
Manufacturer	Intel	Intel	Intel	AMD
Processing node	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	Intel 7 (10nm ESF)	TSMC 5nm (Cores), TSMC 6nm (I/O)
No. of cores	20 (8P, 12E)	16 (8P, 8E)	14 (6P, 8E)	8
No. of threads	28	24	20	16
Base frequencies	3.4 GHz (P-core), 2.5 GHz (E-core)	3.4 GHz (P-core), 2.5 GHz (E-core)	5.1 GHz (P-core), 3.9 GHz (E-core)	4.5 GHz
Max turbo frequencies	5.5 GHz (P-core), 4.3 GHz (E-core)	5.4 GHz (P-core), 4.2 GHz (E-core)	5.1 GHz (P-core), 3.9 GHz (E-core)	5.4 GHz
L2 Cache	28 MB	24 MB	20 MB	8 MB
L3 Cache	33 MB	30 MB	24 MB	32 MB
iGPU	No	Yes	Yes	No
Base Power	125W	125W	125W	105W
Max. Turbo Power	253W	253W	181W	–
MSRP	$384	$409	$319	$399

I highly recommend that you check these guides for the i7-14700KF:

What’s New?

Intel Core i7-14700KF (Image By Tech4Gamers)

As mentioned, the 14th-gen lineup is a Raptor Lake refresh, while Raptor Lake itself was an “enhanced” Alder Lake refresh. These CPUs seem to be Intel’s temporary response to AMD’s beastly 3D V-cache chips while (presumably) they work on something bigger to come.

The Core i7-14700K(F) stands as the only remotely interesting CPU from this refresh, namely due to a slight bump in specifications over its predecessor:

More E-Cores

Whether or not the increase in E-core count is due to better yields is unknown (both the 14900KF and 14700KF use the same package, with the difference being only one E-core cluster now). In any case, this bump brings it in touching distance to the 14900KF in terms of both core and cache counts while keeping the chip $180 cheaper.

In particular, the 14700KF houses an extra E core cluster, adding four more E cores than the predecessor. The total count is 20, with 28 threads (the E-cores are not hyperthreaded). What does this mean for performance? Well, the extra E-core cluster means better multi-threaded performance.

You can expect improved performance in some games, too. That’s because the E-cores allow the P-cores to do the heavy lifting in gaming by handling the other, lighter tasks. More E-cores naturally means these background tasks will be better handled by them, improving overall performance in certain cases. This probably won’t benefit our case at all since we ensure that only the most necessary background tasks run while we test – we’ll find out as I test the CPU in gaming performance.

Increased Cache

The addition of extra E-cores means that we also get slightly more cache, at 33 MB of L3 (compared to 30MB) and 28 MB of L2 (compared to 24MB) cache, over the Core i7-13700K(F).

Better Clock Speeds

The Core i7-14700KF receives a 300MHz increase in boost clock frequency for the P core at 5.6GHz. Meanwhile, the E core boost clock speed is bumped up by 100MHz to 4.3GHz. The increase in boost frequencies, in theory, should yield slightly improved performance across all workload types. Of course, whether or not your CPU will run at these frequencies depends on the cooling you’ll give it.

Intel Application Optimization

In addition, Intel introduced the Intel Application Optimization” with the 14th generation CPUs, which is meant to optimize thread scheduling along with application threading” to optimize performance in select supported games. We also get an AI Assist feature for Intel’s Extreme Tuning Utility, which determines the best overclocking settings for your system through a trained AI model. Currently, this is only supported on the 14900K(F), but Intel plans to add support for lower-end 14th-gen CPUs.

New Motherboards

Despite these CPUs being supported on the Z690 and Z790 motherboards, we have seen Z790-refresh motherboards. Since the chipset hasn’t changed, nothing new has been offered in terms of I/O, although Wi-Fi 7 support has been added to some of these boards.

Packaging and Unboxing

The Core i7-14700KF comes inside the same blue-colored box that housed the previous-gen Intel CPUs.

The IHS displays the information about the CPU’s model as we’re used to seeing.

Test bench, CPU-Z (Image by Tech4Gamers)

Up above, you can see the CPU-Z sections of all the components.

Test Bench

Core i7-14700KF on the test motherboard (Image by Tech4Gamer)

Here’s what my test bench for the Core i7-14700KF looks like:

CPU Cooler: Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790 CARBON MAX Wi-Fi II
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
Memory: 32 GB (2×16) XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 @ 6000
Storage: 1 TB Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus PCIe 4×4 NVMe SSD
Power Supply: CORSAIR AX1200i Platinum PSU
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro Build 22H2, Build 22621

For a CPU as powerful as this one, I recommend at least a high-end 240mm AIO or air cooler. This will not only help it run at full potential but also increase its lifespan.

Testing Methodology

Each test is done on the Auto and Stock settings.
Default tweaking/performance enhancement options are disabled in the BIOS.
XMP is loaded for each test. DRAM timings and Voltage are set manually.
All other voltages are left at Auto.
The pump and fans of the cooling solution are set to run at 100% during the testing.
The Graphics card is not overclocked.
The motherboard’s BIOS is updated to the latest.
Nvidia’s driver 517.48 is used.
HWinfo64 is used to monitor the sensors.

Let’s dive into the benchmarks!

General Benchmarks

Let’s look at some of the general benchmarks first.

Swipe through the gallery to check the 3DMARK CPU Profile, 7-Zip, AIDA64, Super PI, and wPrime test results.

General Benchmarks

1 of 6

Render Tests

With an upgrade to 20 cores, testing the Core i7-14700KF in rendering benchmarks was certainly exciting. Let’s take a look at the Cinebench R23, Geekbench 5, V-Ray, Corona, FryRender, and IndigoBench results.

Rendering Tests

1 of 6

Transcoding Benchmarks

Let’s see what the Core i7-14700KF offers in terms of encoding and decoding capabilities.

Transcoding benchmarks

1 of 2

Gaming Benchmarks

And lastly, and most importantly, here are the 1080P gaming benchmarks, as well as 3DMark scores.

Gaming Benchmarks

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Unsurprisingly, there is barely any improvement in raw gaming performance; the only decent lead taken by the Core i7-14700K was in the 3DMark Time Spy test.

CPU Frequencies

Next, I’ll be putting the Core i7-14700KF’s clock speed ratings to the test. To recall, the E-core boosts to 4.3GHz while the P-cores can go up to 5.5GHz. The Intel Turbo Boost 3.0 can push certain P-cores to 5.6GHz.

Clock speeds during Cinebench R23 multi-core test (Image by Tech4Gamers)

When I ran the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, P-core no. 5 ran at the Turbo Boost of 5.6GHz. Meanwhile, the remaining P-cores and the E-cores ran at their given ratings. So, the CPU performed just as expected.

Power Consumption and Thermals

Moving on, let’s see how the CPU performs in terms of thermals and power.

Idle system stats (Image by Tech4Gamers)

Here are the system’s idle statistics on HWinfo64. The minimum core temperature hit 19°C, while the package dropped to 26°C at the least. Meanwhile, the minimum power drawn by the CPU was 3.868 watts.

Cinebench R23 single-core and multi-core test power consumption

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Next, I ran the Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core tests with power limits removed. The core temperatures peaked at 79°C during the multi-core test while the CPU package hit 80°C. Meanwhile, power consumption crossed its maximum turbo rating (253W) to 265 watts – that’s a lot of power!

WARNING: Removing the default power limits is not recommended, and I only removed them for testing power purposes.

We hit a score of 35287 here.

Cinebench R23 multi-core tested at different power limits

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At the default power configuration on the Core i7-14700KF (at which the base power draw is set equal to the maximum boost power draw: 253W), we got the same temperature results as with the power limits removed: a maximum of 80°C for the package and 79°C for the cores. Here, the score dropped ever so slightly to 35202.

Next, introducing power limits, I set PL1 to 125W, and this dropped both the temperatures and the performance. This is because, with this configuration, the CPU only hits PL2 briefly before falling back to PL1. The core maxed out at 74°C, the same as the CPU package, while the score dropped significantly to 29882.

Should You Buy It?

Is it the right CPU for you?

Buy It If:

✅ Your workloads are rendering-based or a rendering/gaming mix: The Core i7-14700KF doesn’t provide a groundbreaking performance improvement in gaming, but the gains in multi-threaded applications are decent enough.

✅ You want solid all-round performance: With 8 P-cores and 12 E-cores, the Core i7-14700KF is a powerhouse in both multi-threaded and single-threaded applications.

Don’t Buy It If:

❌ You need an iGPU: You’ll need a dedicated graphics card for display with this CPU.

❌ The power consumption concerns you: The CPU is a power hog, with a maximum turbo rating coming in at 253 watts.

❌ You want top-of-the-line gaming performance: For sole gaming purposes, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D still edges out this 20-core powerhouse. Also, its predecessor is far cheaper now and shows nearly the same gaming performance.

Final Thoughts

As I said earlier, the Core i7-14700KF is the most interesting CPU out of the Raptor Lake Refresh, and it proved to be just that. With the same launch price tag as the previous generation Core i7-13700KF, it offers more E-cores and slightly better clock speeds. Thanks to these changes, it showed impressive performance in multi-threaded workloads compared to the 13700K. This makes it a real beast if your workloads involve a mix of rendering and gaming – or just rendering.

However, the minor bump in specifications (no increase in P-core count) means it did not impress in gaming performance, only beating out the Core i7-13700K by 3% at best across different titles tested at 1080P (highest preset).

With regards to AMD competition, it competes with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D in several gaming titles but is comprehensively beaten in others. The power consumption concern from Intel’s side also remains; you’ll need some reasonably beefy cooling for the CPU. My tests on the Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 showed a maximum temperature of 80°C on the CPU. As such, a high-end 240mm AIO or a capable air cooler (like the Noctua NH-U12A) should be your minimum priority.

Lastly, although it’s typical for previous-gen CPUs to drop in price after the launch of new generations, the fact that you’ll now find the 13700KF for about 16% cheaper doesn’t help the 14700KF’s value proposition. Since it only offers 3% better 1080P gaming performance while being 16% costlier than its predecessor, I’ll recommend you pick the 13700KF instead if you’re looking for a CPU for just gaming.

Awards Received By The Core i7-14700KF

We found the Core i7-14700K(F) suitable for the following Tech4Gamer awards:

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Sameed Hussain

[Hardware Expert]

Get In Touch: sameed@tech4gamers.com

Core i7-14700KF Review: Worthy Upgrade or Overpriced Refresh? is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News